Another Heart Calls
by ErectoPatronum
Summary: Hermione Granger is a recent University graduate and the girlfriend to Ron Weasley. However, she's not entirely pleased with her life. She wants a job in her field, and when a chance to have just that falls into her lap, she doesn't hesitate to take it. However, in taking the job, she finds that she not only finds a love of potions, but love for something else.
1. Chapter 1: A promising job

**This story was born by the need to fulfill my need for Snamione fanfiction and partly due to a one shot that currently lives on my hard drive. I have yet to find a fanfiction that is as long as my need for Snamione and when I find one as long as I like my fanfictions to be, it is never the story I want it to be. I was going to post it, but I decided that making a series would be much more fun. I love Snamione more than any other ship in the Harry Potter universe and if anyone knows any really good fanfictions that fit that ship, please send me links. I have started a community for them and I would like to give them all a place to live. I am looking for friendship fics, romance fics (But only ones where Hermione is of age), time travel fics, either where Hermione goes back in time or ones where Severus goes forward in time.**

 **On another note, I am currently unsure what direction Miles Apart is going to go into. I haven't decided on how I'm going to block out the story. I'm currently torn between making it a series as well and having each of Brooke's years be a story or just having one very long story. Also, I'm not sure if I'll have an 'after the war' story, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there. I also don't know if Alexis is going to go into hiding during the catastrophe of year seven or if she's going to be at Hogwarts with the Carrows. As I'm sure we all can guess, I'm 95% sure Brooke is going to be joining Harry, Ron and Hermione on the hunt for horcruxes. Let me know what you all think.**

 **I also really want to thank everyone who reviews and follows my stories. I am not paid to write my stories and some days I don't write at all because of lack of initiative. Your support and want for more chapters keeps me going and keeps me motivated to write and to create new stories. I wouldn't have any stories if there was no interest for them, so thank you all so much. It truly warms my heart.**

 **Love,**

 **Erectopatronum**

The sun shined down on the stones of Diagon Alley, warming them and the people who passed through the streets. The shop keepers were keeping their shelves full to the brim, and patrons were walking in and out, bags stuffed full with different wares. Now that the war was over, and the Death Eater trials were through, the streets were once again a safe place to move about freely. And everyone was taking advantage of the good weather.

Hermione Granger was no acceptation.

After she returned to Hogwarts the year after the war and completed her education, the brightest witch of her age immediately started applying to mastery programs and universities for wizards, ready to move on with her life. Then, after several letters of acceptation, Hermione ran into none other than Ronald Weasley, who now had stepped into his late brother Fred's shoes in the joke shop. With the pressures of war no longer looming over them, the pair fell easily into a relationship. Hermione often thought their relationship was as easy as slipping on a pair of gloves, and she loved to comfort it gave her.

Ron had his own flat, and Hermione had her's, but more often than not, Ron was over Hermione's, spending time with her in between her classes and during his lunch breaks at the shop. Nearly a year into her year and a half mastery program, they started sleeping together, a feat that made Hermione giggle, still nearly two years later. Even though Ron teased her relentlessly about picking potions and transfiguration as her masteries of choice, she didn't let that stop her from doing what she loved. She was good at both, and had graduated the top of her class three months before. Now all she needed was to find a job in her field. Yes, she worked for the ministry in the Magical creatures department, making laws that protected house elves and werewolves, but that was just a job that paid the bills.

But today, she was looking for new potions books to add to her collection. Her small, delicate hands moved over the spines of the books, the tips of her fingers barely touching the bindings. She practically itched to fill her arms with all the books in the store, but unfortunately she didn't have enough space in her small apartment. One day, she vowed, years ago, she would have a home, a proper home with a library in it to house the tremendous amount of books she already owned, and the ones she would purchase in the future.

But first, she needed to get the dream job before she got the dream home. She rounded the bookshelves and passed the corkboard where small business owners and those who were conducting research posted wanted ads. She liked to check every now and again, but there was rarely anything on potions, and if there was, there was only an unpaid internship. Most of the internships clashed with her actual paying job, and while she would love to drop everything and just learn from a master. But she loved having a roof over her head and eating a little more.

Nevertheless, she moved to view the colored papers with little interest. It was the plain white paper that stood out to her however, among the bright neon on the board. The ad was for a potions assistantship for some little company called Prince Potions. Hermione had never heard of the company, but the promise of payment drew her in. She took a copy of the ad and went to the counter with her purchases, ready to go home and try to find a place to fit them all.

*H*G*

Hermione was busy trying to push the 16 book in place, and didn't hear her floo activate. Which resulted in her shriek when hands clamped around her waist, spinning her around to face whoever entered her home, wand clamped in her hand.

"Ronald!" Hermione smacked his chest with the tome in her hand. "Don't do that!"

Ron didn't even look sorry for scaring his girlfriend. "I thought you had heard me, 'Mione. After all, you're normally not in the living room at this time a day." He tightened his hold and kissed her forehead. "Can you ever forgive me?"

Hermione pulled out of his grasp and returned to her shelving. "I suppose if your apology comes with dinner and help with these books." She waved her wand and expanded the shelves around her, making it easier for the books to slide into place.

"How about tonight? Just you and me, maybe we can go to that little Italian place we like so much." Ron leaned against the shelves, watching her tuck title after title away. He handed her the last few books, crumpling up the bags when he was done.

"I'd love that." She finished her shelving and then returned to her boyfriend's embrace. "I found an ad for an assistantship."

"That's fantastic! Are you going to apply?" Ron moved her to the sofa, pulling her into his chest.

"Of course," She tucked her head under his chin. "I'd be a fool not to. I need to find a job in my field. I mean, I like the ministry, but it's not what I want to do for the rest of my life. I want to work in a lab, making potions and selling them. I hope that I get the job."

"Well, whoever owns this company has to hire you. You were top of your class, after all." Ron rubbed his hand up and down her arm. He didn't regret not going to school after the war was over, but he found that working for his brother George was comfortable and they worked well together. Granted, he had wanted to play for the Chudley Cannons but his sister had gotten to play for the Hollyhead Harpies and he decided that one Weasley sibling playing internationally was enough for his mother. After Fred's death, Molly liked everyone to stay as close to home, and nearly panicked when Ginny left for Scotland to start her training. But his sister came home as often as she could and was always there for Christmas and birthdays, which made his mother less worried.

"I think I'm going to fire off a copy of my resume right now. Maybe if I get it in now, I'll be first pick for the job." Hermione pulled herself from Ron and went to her kitchen table, pulling parchment and her resume from the folder she kept it all in.

"Like I said, you're going to get the job. Whoever runs this company is a fool not to hire you." Ron went to the range and set the kettle to boil.

"I'm not assuming that I'll get the job, Ron. They might hire me and change their mind because of my ministry schedule. I can only work from 3:30 on and then weekends all day." Hermione scribbled on the parchment, writing her cover letter to the owner. Folding up the papers and tucking the ad into the envelope like the ad said to do, she gave the envelope to the owl she purchased during University, praying to whatever god was listening that she got the job.

*H*G*

Hermione sat at her desk in the Ministry, drumming her fingers on the desktop. Before her was a decree from Kingsley preventing werewolves from being denied jobs. Appropriately named the Lupin Law, she was reading it over to make sure there were no loopholes for employers to discriminate. As she reached for her quill to sign, her assistant came over to her with a stack of mail.

"Hermione?" She poked her head in the office.

"Yes, Jillian?" Hermione continued her previous motion and signed the law.

"I have your mail." She handed her the large stack, making Hermione frown. Most of her mail for the past few years was letters of gratitude for her services in the war, which she didn't feel she deserved. She simply did what was expected of her, and protecting and helping Harry was one of those things. Flipping through the letters, she stopped at an emerald green envelope, with Prince Potions in the return address. It had been nearly two weeks since she applied for the position and she was nervous as the days had gone by without hearing anything. Ripping it open, there was a thick letter tucked neatly inside.

 _Dear Miss Granger,_

 _I have to say, I was most surprised when I received your application. To be honest, I had hoped I would never hear from you or your friends for the rest of my days. To add to my shock, after reading your resume, there was no record of your personal achievements, but only those of your academic career. I would have expected you to at least include your Order of Merlin, First Class. In addition, I was expecting a few pages for your resume, but seven pages of academic achievement is nothing to sneeze at. (I would cherish the complement because I don't give them often.)_

 _However, it was the addition of valedictorian to your resume that caught my eye. In fact, it was the only reason I wrote to you in the first place. I also saw that you went to the same University as I did and had the same professors. Therefore I took the liberty of contacting them and asking them of your academic performances. Rest assured, you got rave reviews. Regardless of my feelings toward you, you at least have a good sense of potions mastery, at that is one of the most important things I'm looking for in this job. Now, bear in mind, I am not handing you this job, for I am not one who will fawn over the brains of the golden trio._

 _I will, however, grant you an interview. Come today, at 5 o'clock sharp. Do not be late. If you can prove yourself, you may get the job._

 _My address is 33 Spinner's End, Cokeworth._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Severus Snape_

She read the letter over and over, trying to wrap her mind around the fact that she applied to Severus Snape's potion company. She had no clue it was him at the time, but now it made sense. His mother's maiden name was Prince and he wasn't teaching currently. Minerva had given him time off to settle down and recover from Nagini's attack. Hermione and Madame Pomphrey had worked day and night to save him, trying everything they could think of. Thankfully, after Dumbledore died, Fawkes had turned his alliance to Minerva, and became her familiar, meaning that they could try phoenix tears and not just bezoars. They had managed to stabilize him, but if Augustus Pye hadn't been called and helped the two women, the dour man would have died.

Then Hermione, Harry and Ron built his defense in court with the help of Minerva and Flitwick. They all testified on Severs' behalf, saving him from a life sentence in Azkaban. After Severus had been cleared of all charges, he vanished from the Wizarding world, or so Hermione thought. But she had been granted an interview. She thought about telling Ron, but decided to keep it quiet, in case she was denied the spot. It would also protect Snape and where he had disappeared to.

Regardless of who the employer was, Hermione really wanted this job. Snape was one of the best potions masters in the wizarding world, therefore it would be quite the feather in Hermione's cap to add assistant to Severus Snape to her resume. The ad had simply said paid job, so Hermione wondered how much she would be making, and hoped that it would be enough to start saving to move out of her apartment and into an actual home.

Ron could move in and they could marry. She wondered why he hadn't proposed to her yet, but she wasn't going to press him. She didn't want to scare him away. They both were trying to save up money after all, and a wedding would drain their savings. She assumed that's why he hadn't said anything. They had been together nearly three years and she was happy with him, which she was shocked at.

When they were at Hogwarts together, Hermione had thought him to be self-centered and uncaring, but he had matured and made her feel so loved. Her success was his success and vice versa. Granted Hermione went farther in work because she didn't co own a shop but she respected what her boyfriend did, and he loved it so much. He was always coming over and crowing about some new product he invented, and she always loved to hear his work stories.

She sighed and pushed back her chair. She was nervous about seeing Severus Snape after four years. She hadn't been prepared for him to speak to her old professors but she couldn't be shocked. After learning they were alumni of the same university, it would make sense for him to reach out. She just hoped she made a good impression.

*H*G*

Hermione pulled her hair into a loose ponytail and smoothed down her skirt. She dressed in the clothes she normally wore in her labs at school, to show that she knew how to dress for work. Sensible flat shoes were on her feet, a long colorful maxi skirt to cover her legs but still remain cool. And a black fitted tee shirt completed her outfit. She stood before the stairs of the Spinner's End home, trying to calm herself.

She took a deep breath and climbed the stairs, knocking on the door with her knuckles. After a tense moment, the door opened as far as a chain would allow and a sliver of man was seen. The door shut and then opened quickly. Hermione was greeted with the man she had worked night and day to defend and heal, and she thought she would be able to see him as an equal, but seeing him here, she was nearly reduced to her first year self.

"Miss Granger, punctual as usual." Severus stepped back. "Come in then and let's this over with." His tone was dry and bored, as though he dreaded seeing her.

"Thank you sir," She slipped past him and into his sitting room, gasping at the shelves of books around her.

"You can gawk later, I think," Severus moved to the armchair before the fireplace after he shut the door. "Have a seat." He snapped his fingers and a tea tray appeared on the coffee table, tea pouring into the bone china.

She tore her eyes away and settled on the plush seat, smiling her thanks and sipping the dark liquid.

"There is cream and sugar." He gestured to the tray.

"I know, but I prefer black." Hermione settled back onto the couch and cradled the cup. Suddenly a midnight black feline jumped onto her lap, shocking her and making her jump.

"Hello, where did you come from?" Hermione moved her tea to her left hand and stroked the cat with her right.

"Dover, get down," Severus snapped his fingers at the cat. In return, the cat flicked his tail and curled up on her lap.

"It's alright, sir. I have a cat of my own." Hermione carefully placed the tea on the table and used both hands to scratch the sides of Dover's face. "Why is…. His? Name Dover?"

"The cat is male, yes. And I found him as a stray when I was at a conference near the White Cliffs of Dover. It seemed fitting. He's prone to using his claws to hold you down so he can bathe you, so for that I am sorry. I haven't been able to break that habit." He took a sip of his own tea, watching the feline. "Feel free to push him off if he's bothering you."

Hermione smiled and watched the cat snuggle into her stomach. "Crookshanks is the same way. I have more scars from my cat than from the war, I think. It'll be fine." She looked up at him and noted he was watching her closely. "Is everything okay?"

"Every person who's come to be interviewed for this position has been hissed at and hated. Though, for some reason, Dover likes you of all people." He cleared his throat. "Well, why don't we get started?" He put his reading glasses on and picked up a quill and parchment. "Why do you want to work for me?"

Hermione chuckled. "When I applied, I had no idea that the company was owned by you. I applied because every other position is an unpaid internship, and takes up full days. I have a job already, but it's not in my field and I need to keep it or replace it with something to pay my bills."

Severus jotted down something in his notes. "And you work for the ministry, correct?"

"Yes, sir I do." Hermione winced as the cat in her lap dug his claws into her leg.

"What are the hours?" Severus looked up at her hiss.

"9am to 3:30 pm. I have Friday through Sunday completely free." Hermione carefully dislodged the claws from her skirt.

"And the pay?"

"200 gallons a month." Hermione resumed petting the cat, in order to keep him content and his claws out of her leg.

"Hmmm," Severus wrote that down and rubbed the feather end of the quill against his lower lip. "So you were valedictorian, graduated with highest honors and you returned to Hogwarts to complete your education. But, what is lacking is anything about your personal achievements. How am I to know that you can balance your work life, social life, and other hobbies if all you included was academic achievements?"

"Well," She took her tea again and sipped the hot liquid. "I was in a book club, which I'm sure is not surprising. I was in the theater club, which is much more surprising, I think. I regularly went out with friends, I tried to learn the drums, but that didn't go well. I quit after six months. I tutored students in potions and transfiguration, which was the job I had while in school." She scratched the cat behind the ears, hoping she had impressed her ex professor.

"Well, I think I have enough." Severus checked to make sure the ink was dry and folded the paper in half.

"So?" Hermione drained her cup and allowed the cat to kneed her leg.

"So?"

"Do I have the job?" Hermione decided she was going to be forward and make sure he knew what she wanted.

"Honestly, Miss Granger, I really don't wish to work with you. You annoyed me when I was your professor and the very fact that you had to save me from Nagini's bite and then proceeded to keep me out of Azkaban, which is somewhere I should be right now, I don't like being indebted to someone."

"How many people have you interviewed, sir?" Hermione gave him a cool look.

"I don't understand why that matters." Severus leaned back in his chair.

"How many people have you interviewed?" Hermione repeated, waiting for him to answer.

"Around 30, why?"

"How many of them have my credentials?" Hermione shifted in her seat, maintaining eye contact.

He sighed, and removed his reading glasses. "None, Miss Granger. And before you ask, none of them have graduated yet either."

"Well, then it seems to me that even though you do not like me, and you don't wish to work with me, I am your best bet. I have graduated top of my class, I know how you like to have things organized in a lab, and I actually qualify for an assistantship." Hermione waited for him to react.

He frowned and unfolded the paper before him. Reading it over, he closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them again. "Fine, you have the job. Do not make me regret this, Granger. Be here tomorrow, 4pm, not a minute later."

"Yes sir. May I ask about salary?" She ran her fingers through the cat's fur before her.

"I assumed we would get there. I'll match what you make at the Ministry. You'll be here 4-9 pm Monday through Thursday and 9-8pm Friday through Sunday. For the first month, don't even think about asking for time off. Consider yourself on probation. If I don't like how you work for the first month, there will be no second chances." Severus removed his reading glasses and tucked the parchment away, giving her a look. "You're free to take your leave."

Hermione tried to push the feline to the floor, but Dover gave her a glare and refused to move. Hermione laughed when Severus tisked and she pulled the cat to her chest, standing up. Placing the cat on the floor, she moved to the bookshelves that lined the room, Dover following her as she walked, hoping she would sit again.

"Miss Granger, what are you doing?" Severus waved his wand and vanished the tea tray to the kitchen.

"You said that I could look at the books later." Hermione's fingers ghosted the spines, her eyes full of light.

Severus observed her silently. He had never seen anyone so taken with books before, but he knew how much she liked to read from their time together as teacher and student. At least her essays reflected that she knew how to research. His eyes raked her clothing as she stretched up to pluck a tome from the shelf. Her shoes were sensible, and wouldn't render her useless. They were close toed, which was better than the other girls who applied. They often wore short skirts and heels, clearly never worked in a potions lab a day in their lives. Her skirt was long which covered her legs, but she wouldn't be too over heated in the lab. She knew what she was doing, he had to give her that. Not that he would ever tell her that.

Hermione was oblivious to his stares. She was more taken by the book in her hand about traditional and modern potion brewing methods. She hadn't asked if she could read his books, but when she was given the opportunity to read, she never took it for granted. She resumed her place on the couch, and Dover leapt back into her lap, the book laying open on the cushion next to her.

"I wasn't aware you were staying." Severus commented dryly, arms crossed.

"I'm sorry for being so forward, sir. I'll just-"

Severus cut her off. "I assumed you would want to leave as soon as possible. The books will still be here tomorrow." Severus plucked the book from her hands and laid it down on the side table.

Hermione nodded and carefully moved the cat off her lap once more. "Sorry Dover. I'll be back tomorrow." She said her goodbyes to Snape and thanked him for the job before leaving the house and apparating away to her apartment.

*H*G*

Hermione sat at her kitchen table carefully writing a note to Ginny and Harry, who now lived together in Grimmauld Place. She wanted them to come out to dinner with her and Ron, to celebrate her receiving the job. Ron had agreed to sacrifice his night alone with Hermione to make her happy. Once she was done with the letter, she cast it through the floo network and waited anxiously for their response. Her hands shook slightly, wanting the message to turn out to be positive, as she was sure that her friends' response to her being employed by Severus Snape was not going to be as cheerful as she would like. While she and her friends did in fact save his life and keep him from Azkaban prison, Harry and Ron still did not like him.

After 20 long agonizing minutes, Ginny's slightly charred note plopped onto Hermione's threadbare hearth rug. She ran over to it and ripped it open, nearly tearing the parchment inside in her excitement.

 _Hermione,_

 _Of course we'll join you and Ron tonight, do you even have to ask? We'll see you around 7:30, yeah?"_

 _Love,_

 _Ginny_

Hermione looked at the clock that rested on her mantle, with the time reading 6:45. She looked down at her clothing and noted the black hairs that Dover had thoughtfully left on her skirt, and she used her wand to whisk them away. When she had come back into her apartment, Crookshanks had batted at her skirt and meowed in protest, disliking the other cat's smell on his mistress' clothes.

While she wanted to take a shower, she had no time, and settled for washing her face and putting on her usual eye makeup. Crookshanks followed her into her bedroom and settled on her vanity, batting her eyeliner cap around on the table, clearly set on keeping her home longer than she wanted to be.

"Crooks, please. Knock it off." Hermione took the cap away and slipped it over her eyeliner once more. "I know you're upset over the other cat hairs but Snape has a cat too. I'm going to have hairs on me that aren't yours now."

Crookshanks stared at her with his bright yellow eyes, clearly not happy. The half kneazle was very particular about who he liked or disliked. He merely tolerated Ron and didn't attack him when he came to visit, but he didn't allow the red head to touch him. She briefly wondered if Crookshanks would allow Snape to touch him but she shook the thought away. The only way for that to happen would be if Snape came to her house and hell would freeze over before that happened.

She pulled her hair down from the ponytail it had been tied in and pulled it into a bun on the top of her head, a few curls hanging down, framing her face. Gathering her clutch, Hermione prepared to take her leave, excited to see her friends.

When she got to the restaurant, she joined her friends at the table they had procured. "Hey!" She smiled brightly and plopped down in the seat that was empty for her. She took the glass of wine that Ginny had offered her, taking a grateful sip.

"So, you had the interview today? How did it go?" Harry took a sip of his fire whiskey.

"I got the job!" Hermione nearly spilled her wine when Ron threw his arms around her. "Ronald, stop that!" She laughed.

"I knew you would, 'Mione!" Ron nearly shouted. "So who runs the company, anyways?"

"Well, you're not going to believe it, but Snape does." Hermione took another sip.

"Snape? Blimey, Hermione. You're working for Snape?" Harry coughed, nearly choking on his drink. Ginny thumped him on back, shaking her head at him.

"I'm sure Hermione will be fine, guys. How much are you making? Ron said it was paid." Ginny asked. "Hopefully it's enough to save for your own house."

"He's matching my ministry salary." Hermione couldn't stop smiling at her friends.

"So you'll be making 400 gallons a month?" Ginny gasped. "Why didn't I apply for this job? Hermione, you might be the richest women in the order, if you're putting away 200 gallons a month."

"I know. It's a real start for a house. With my war stipend, and this job, I could get a house in about a year and a half."

"How much was your stipend?" Ginny took a long swallow of wine.

"About 700 galleons. I got more because I helped Madame Pomphrey with the injured." Hermione shrugged. "It's currently collecting dust in my vault."

She had gotten 300 more galleons than the others, but it was the effort she had put in with the healers to save as many as possible. Lavender Brown would have been dead if Hermione hadn't gone back for her after the battle was over. Healer Pyre and Hermione had managed to heal her from the fall and the attack from Greyback, and she had only had minor scarring on her stomach left over. St. Mungos had thrown in the extra money, to give her their thanks. She hadn't asked for more money, or any money for that matter, but everyone had gotten something. Even Severus Snape.

Hermione figured he had used his money to start his business, but she could always be wrong.

*H*G*

Hermione lightly skipped up the steps to Snape's home, knocking on the door just as she had the day before. After a few moments, the door opened and Hermione had to bend quickly to catch the cat before he escaped. Gathering Dover in her arms, Hermione gave her new employer a smile as she walked passed.

Severus shut the door, shaking his head. "He bolted for the door as soon as you knocked. I've never seen him more attached to anyone before." When he turned, he saw Hermione looking at the shelves again, the cat sitting on her shoulder, like a deranged parrot.

"You are aware that I have actual work for you to do and that I'm not paying you to read my books." Snape gathered his files from the table next to his armchair and made to leave the living room. Hermione turned to face him, reaching up to steady the cat.

"Yes, I know. I was actually trying to figure out how you charmed your shelves to stretch this far. Mine are maxed out I'm afraid." Hermione started to follow him out of the room and down the hall.

"I'm sure that's what you were doing." Severus started to open the door at the end of hall, then paused. "Dover isn't allowed in the lab." He raised an eyebrow at the cat who lightly jumped to the floor, padding over to the cracked door to Hermione's left. "That's my study." Severus said, answering her questioning gaze. "He has a bed in there. Now, let's get started."

Hermione followed Severus down into the basement of his home, feeling the magic press against her skin. "Protective enchantments, I assume?"

"Yes. I can't be too careful. This is a muggle neighborhood after all." Severus pulled out his wand, waving the stick to start cauldrons marching to their burners.

"What happened to 'there will be no foolish wand waving or silly incantations?'" Hermione sat on a stool, watching him spread out the documents before each cauldron.

"Don't be cheeky." Severus ground out, flicking his wand again, ingredients laying themselves out on the table.

"If you can do all this with magic, why do you need an assistant?" Hermione swiveled on her stool. She didn't want to shoot a gift horse in the mouth, but it made no sense watching him set up.

"I'm well behind in my work." He pointed to the files on the desk in the corner. "Those are from about six months ago."

Hermione stood and started to leaf through the folders. "So what do you want me to get started on?"

Severus laughed. "You," he pointed to the desk. "Can put those in order of importance. I will be brewing these."

"And when I'm finished?" Hermione sat down and opened the first folder.

"We'll see when you finish. That's six months' worth of potions."

Hermione made a face at his bent head and started to read the files, sorting them into piles starting from the potions that were ordered the farthest back. Those for St. Mungos' went first, then the ones that stocked Apothecaries, and then those ordered by private citizens. As she flipped through the pages, Hermione could tell that the dour man had made quite the business for himself. Most of the orders fetched 300 galleons or more. She wouldn't be surprised if he never went back to teaching with the money he was raking in with these potions.

"You're the one providing St Mungos' with wolfsbane?" Hermione's eyebrows raised as she read the parchment.

"Yes, I am." Severus plucked the parchment from her fingers. "I actually need to fill this order today in fact."

"I can help." Hermione perked up. "I made that all the time in school."

"If you finish sorting the orders, Miss Granger." Severus turned back to the cauldrons and his ingredient prepping.

"But sir, how is this helpful?" Hermione put a few more in the 'Urgent' pile.

"I don't have the time to go through all the files, sort them and brew the potions. Currently, I am not taking any more orders until I fill the rest of these." He used a sharp razor to shave a unicorn horn, thin slices falling into neat piles. "Therefore, it is easier to hire someone to help me sort my orders, then fill them with me."

They worked quietly for a few hours. Hermione had finished the last folder as 9 o'clock rolled around.

"Sir, I finished the folders." She brought him the pile of Urgent potions. "These are the ones that need to be filled as soon as possible."

Severus leafed through the orders and cut the pile in half, handing her one of the piles. "You can handle these, I assume. Be here tomorrow, 9 am. We'll see how many of these we can get through."

*H*G*

Hermione flooed to her apartment, kicking her shoes in the direction of her bedroom. Crookshanks wound around her ankles, crying out to her in his need for love and food. "Hey Crooks. I know, you usually eat dinner at 5, I'm sorry."

She led him into the kitchen where he jumped onto the counter. Hermione pulled open the cabinet where she kept his food, and dumped it onto a dish. She placed it on the floor by the water dish, laughing when he jumped down eagerly to eat.

"What should I make for my dinner, Crooks?" Hermione pulled open her refrigerator and gazed at the contents. "I need to go shopping. Maybe I'll go before work on Monday." Hermione shook her head and pulled out a pack of chicken.

With a wave of her wand, Hermione had chicken and carrots chopping themselves while she made pie crusts. Placing the dough in a muffin tin, she put the chicken and carrots into the dough, along with peas and gravy, using the rest of the dough to cover her homemade pot pies. She put them in the oven and poured herself a glass of white wine, allowing her familiar to jump onto the table and curl up next to her.

"I'm not looking forward to these late nights, buddy." Hermione scratched him behind the ears, enjoying her wine slowly. "Maybe Severus will let me bring you to his house so I can feed you on time. Or maybe I can take a short break and come back. I don't know, but I'll try to figure something out. Or we might have to get used to late suppers."

When the timer went off, Hermione stood and took the pan out of the oven, plating her meal and carrying it to the table. With a wave of her wand, the dishes started to wash themselves, and a smaller plate flew out of cabinet and landed before her cat.

"I know you like chicken, Crooks." She waited for the meat to cool before giving her cat the treat, rubbing the top of his head when he gobbled up the chicken. "I hope you'll forgive me for being late?"

Her cat responded by trying to steal more of her meal. Hermione laughed and placed her cat on the floor of her kitchen, shooing him from the room.

"Let me eat in peace, please." Hermione then picked up her fork and ate, savoring the first thing she had eaten since noon. Usually her Thursdays were ended with dinner with Ron or Ginny, but for this month, she would have to hope that they were alright with late suppers or not seeing her for a few weeks. Hermione wasn't horribly mad, however. Working for Severus Snape was a dream come true. It was the crown jewel of her resume, and her old professors back at University were singing praises for her, excited that one of their students got the job. Apparently, they had been sending people over to the dour man's home and there had been no luck until Hermione.

Though, the late nights were going to be the death of her. She usually was done supper around 6, and read a book until 8, when she went to bed. She knew she was what most would call, an old soul. Ron often complained about her habits, but she didn't care too much about it. She ignored his comments and she brushed off her university friends' laughter about her habits as well. She had never had much of a social life, and she didn't really care. It was only at University when she branched out, and even then, she wasn't too adventurous. The theater club was as adventurous as she got, and she loved the performances they did, but she wouldn't make a career out of it like some of her friends' did.

When she was done and all the dishes were washed up, she padded to her bedroom to shower and change. She hoped that the next day at Prince Potions was going to be more action packed than it had been today. She didn't want to be paid to sort paperwork. While Harry and Ron would love to make the salary she did for the minimal work she had put out today, Hermione was unable to do such a thing. Her goal was to ascend and make something of herself and the world around her. Being Snape's glorified secretary wasn't what she had in mind for her assistantship.

The next morning, Hermione was up bright and early, ready to start the day with zeal. Dressing herself in her usual lab clothes, she strode to the kitchen, intent on tea and feeding her cat before he started to squawk. With the use of her wand, her breakfast and that of her familiar were made in short order. Hermione glanced at the clock and noted she had a little more than an hour before having to be at Snape's home so she savored her morning and the time she had to herself. Ron and she had dinner plans after Hermione got out, and she was grateful that he was willing to meet so late in the night. Though to everyone else, it seemed that dinner at 9 on a weekend was average.

Crookshanks finished his meal and jumped onto his mistress' lap, intent on depositing as much hair on her clothing as possible. He still hated the new animal that had left foreign fur two days in a row. Hermione could only laugh, and she had teased Crookshanks about the need to claim her as his to an animal he would never meet.

"Alright Crooks, I'll be back later," She pushed him to the floor after kissing the top of his head. She twisted her heel in a practiced way and reappeared on Snape's front door step, knocking just as she had for the past two days. When the door creaked open, she was already prepared to catch the cat, hoisting the animal to rest in her arms once more.

"Goodness, does he do this to you when you come home?" Hermione dumped the cat on the sofa, addressing Severus who latched the door.

"Yes, unfortunately. I would have a floo system, but when you want to remain undetected, you can't exactly be open to visitors." Severus moved to the kitchen, and Hermione was hesitant to follow. She didn't know his morning routine just yet and didn't want to bother him so early. So in an effort to remain quiet, she took up the book she had left on the table and allowed the cat to curl up on her legs.

Severus had entered his kitchen and fully expected Hermione to follow him with a flood of questions, but she had stopped in the living room, and when Severus leaned against the door jam and observed her, his morning tea in his hands. She was lost in her reading material, oblivious to Severus watching her. She had matured considerably since he had last had prolonged contact with her when she was 16. She still had a 'bossy' attitude about her, but she knew what she was doing, he had to give her that. Her marks in University were remarkable, and he never gave any sort of compliment to anyone.

He had been surprised when he got her application, but her resume was impressive. She had the brains and wit to be a great potions mistress, and all she needed was a place to prove herself. Severus hoped that eventually he could pass the orders off to her and he could continue his own research, which had to be put off until he could catch up with the orders he had. Since the end of the war, Severus had become something like a hermit, not seeing anyone or going out of his house more than he had to. Everything from his potions ingredients to his weekly groceries were ordered to his home, and he only left for the conferences he attended, which was how he found Dover. He had taken to the cat as the feline's nature was quite like his own. Since then, he hadn't seen anyone from his past, until these last three days.

Never would he ever thought that Hermione Granger would be in his home, working for him, none the less. He hadn't liked her when she came to Hogwarts when she was 11, and she was a know it all, worse than he had been. She had kept the trend until she left school and even now, she was trying to be a sponge for knowledge. Though there was something about her now that made him slightly curious. Just how much did she mellow out since Hogwarts? Why would she stoop to the Weasley Boy's level and date someone far below her academic level? The last Severus had heard, the youngest Weasley boy had joined the remaining twin in his joke shop. It wasn't exactly a job that required much skill.

Severus returned to the table and to his paper. With the end of the war, the Daily Prophet had become a paper worth reading again. There was no more Azkaban breakout reports, or Voldemort controlled articles. Severus was considering getting his Dark Mark covered up by a Muggle artist, but he had no clue of what he should get etched on his arm forever. Perhaps, if the assistantship worked out, he could ask Miss Granger for advice.

Severus shook his head. He had no interest in getting close to her. Though there was some part of him in the back of his mind that told the rational part of his brain that maybe trying to become friends with Hermione Granger wouldn't be a horrible idea. She was smart and had cared enough about him to go back for him after the battle, making sure he didn't die. Severus fingered the two scars on his neck as he thought of the attack.

He sighed. Perhaps, he might actually take his mother's advice and just let events take place and see what happens, instead of trying to have total control of everything.

 **Please follow and review. It makes me so excited to see you all liking my stories and taking the time to tell me how much you like them. Please read my other stories as well! Let me know if you all like this story!**


	2. Chapter 2: A friend returns

_**Another Chapter for Another Heart Calls. I'm sorry there have been few updates, but my computer died and I had to buy another one, which was no fun. I was having problems transferring all my documents to the new one, but we figured it out and now, I can work on the stories I have out now. Thank you for being so patient, I love you all!**_

Hermione followed Snape into the lab after he had finished whatever he had been doing in the kitchen while she was reading. He was silent, walking ahead of her, his stance just as commanding as he had been while she was in school. But this time, he wasn't the only expert, and she hoped that she would be given work today that was to her academic level and not the work of a glorified secretary.

Once they reached the basement laboratory, Severus waved his wand and the caldrons set up like they had the day before. Severus then turned to her and handed her the stack of parchments she had left in his lab so her cat wouldn't tear them.

"Miss Granger, I need you to start on these. You will be only handling the potions I make for private investors until I know what you can produce consistently. Then you may be moved to help me fill the orders for St. Mungos." He pointed to the table across from him. "Crates are at the back, and once you're done and everything is bottled, you are to package them and label them with the shipping labels in the box on the shelf above that."

"Yes sir." Hermione took the papers and pulled out the first few pages. Setting up the caldrons like Snape did, Hermione prepped the first round of ingredients for the five potions she was creating. She was aware of the eyes on her, but she ignored them, and continued her work. Her professors at University had taught her to prep before making her potions, and she could see where Snape had gotten into the habit.

Once she had chopped everything and measured out her liquids, she danced between her caldrons, stirring each one and lowering heat when appropriate. One at a time, the potions completed and with a gentle wave of her wand, the medications and tonics bottled themselves and the caldrons were scrubbed clean. Snape came over as she made quick work of crating the bottles, and she stiffened, but didn't stop.

"Let me see." Snape snapped his fingers and plucked the bottle from her hand. Hermione continued her work, ignoring the dour man as he swirled the liquid in the bottle, and then opened it to sniff the contents. When he was satisfied, he nodded, recorked the bottle and then passed it back to her.

"Sir, with all due respect, I am a potions mistress and I know what I am doing." Hermione finished her task, and with a wave of her wand, the crates were on the only empty table in the room, stacked neatly and ready to be shipped. Striding back to her table, Hermione started prepping her next round of potions. She was aware that his eyes never left her back, and she wondered hen he would finally trust her skills. With her luck, the man would never trust her completely, which frustrated her to no end.

*H*G*

Hermione worked until the clock on his desk chimed 2 pm, at which time Severus stretched and bottled his own work, waving his wand for the bottles to box themselves up. "Miss Granger? I usually take a break at this time for lunch. You're welcome to join me if you like."

Hermione barely looked up from her work, as she extinguished the last cauldron. "Let me bottle this up and I'll be more than happy to." Hermione had hoped that one day Snape would accept that she wanted to be his friend and to make him feel like he was wanted. In the months that followed Nagini's attack, Hermione had barely left his side, and had stayed with him after the trial in Number 12 Grimmauld Place while he recovered enough to take care of himself.

Severus nodded and went up the stairs, leaving her in the basement lab to finish her work. Dover sat at the door, waiting for them to emerge, and with a soft meow, he wound himself in dizzying circles around Severus' legs as they moved to the kitchen. He was confused as to why he invited her to eat with him. He didn't like her, at least he thought he didn't. They had only been working together for two days, and while he was relieved that he wasn't victim to her prattle, he still was on edge around her. He knew that he didn't have to like her, but it did have to be cordial to her.

He entered his kitchen and Dover jumped from the floor to his shoulders with ease. This was their routine. Severus worked until 2-2:30, Dover would wait until he returned from the depths of the basement and while Severus cooked lunch or dinner, Dover was on his shoulder like a demented parrot. Ever since he had smuggled the cat home, the pair had been inseparable.

"What do you think, Dover?" He addressed the cat. "Should we have fish and chips today?" Severus moved to the pantry where he kept the potatoes and took out a few large ones. "I hope Miss Granger eats fish."

"Miss Granger does eat fish." Hermione walked into the room and leaned against the counter. "Would you like some help?"

"If you would like." Severus handed her the potatoes, and reached up to steady the cat. He scratched him behind the ears as Severus moved to the refrigerator to take out the fish. Once he opened the wrappings that the fish was in, Severus took Dover off of his shoulder and put him on the window sill in the sun. Once his cat was situated, Severus set to work on the batter, coating the fish and frying them in a pan.

"You don't deep fry them?" Hermione sliced the potatoes into fries and dumped them into a bowl as she worked.

"I never have. It's less mess this way too." His gaze never left the stove.

Hermione finished her slicing and brought him the bowl, placing it on the counter. He nodded his thanks, and continued cooking. Hermione walked to the window and absentmindedly stroked the slumbering cat, looking out at his backyard that boasted a garden that took up most of the space. There was a small corner that held a bench in the middle of carefully placed flowers and in between two trees a hammock was strung.

"I never would have pictured you as much of an outdoors type, sir." She said in a manner that was recognizant of Luna Lovegood.

"My mother insisted I have a place to read during the summer months that wasn't my sitting room." Severus snorted. "I hardly have time to relax, if you can imagine."

"I understand, sir. I am the same way. With this job and the Ministry, I hardly have time for anything else." She pulled the sun warmed cat into her arms. "It's unfair in a way."

"Indeed." Severus continued cooking while Hermione walked closer to the backdoor. "Miss Granger, if you are intending on going out to my backyard, I insist that Dover stay inside. He isn't exactly an outdoor cat."

"Of course." She placed the cat down on the window sill once more, and slipped out to the backyard, leaving the door open, but making sure to shut the screen door.

Severus continued cooking for a few more minutes, but once he started work on the potatoes, Severus walked to the window that Dover had abandoned, favoring to sit on the floor by the open door. He watched Hermione wander around his garden, her fingers brushing lightly over the leaves and flowers. In the time that it took for him to check the food, Severus saw that she had taken up residence on his hammock, with a book that he hadn't noticed that she had.

Severus waved his wand and the cooking resumed without him, and he wandered out to the garden where she was and leaned against the tree beside her.

"Am I to assume that this is where you are going to be residing during your time with me?" Severus gestured to her with her shoes off and her reclined position.

"Sir, with all due respect, I never have any time to relax outside. I'm either at home, trying to right my apartment or I am at work. Sometimes, I have time to go out with friends, but that is not often."

"Then why did you take this job?" Severus was perplexed. If she had no spare time, why would she be taking on more responsibility?

"I need the experience." She simply said, flipping the page of her book. Severus nodded, though he was confused. A young woman like her shouldn't be trapped in his basement brewing potions and tonics for 9 to 10 hours a day. She should be out with her friends and having a life other than this.

"Won't you miss having a social life?" Severus looked at her with a frown.

"I never really had one to begin with, to be honest. Ron, Harry and Ginny go out without me most weekends because I'm working on things for work. Sometimes, Ginny comes over to have dinner with me and Ron does the same, but they knew that taking this job meant late nights and early mornings for a while." She turned a page in her book. "If they can't handle it, then I guess it's their loss."

*S*S*

Severus was confused. His apprentice was still in his home, an hour and a half over the time that she was scheduled to work. He assumed that she would have bolted from the house as soon as she was freed, but here she was, seated on the one swiveling chair in his lab, twirling back and forth, her hair flowing behind her as she spun.

"Miss Granger, don't you have somewhere else to be?" Severus looked at her over his glasses as he filled out the reminder of the slips he included in all of his deliveries. With her help for the past day or so, they had filled out more orders than he had been able to fill in months, and she had proved herself to be a very handy person in the lab. Not that he would ever tell her that to her face.

"No, Ron cancelled on me. Said that I take too long here and he wants to actually eat at a normal dinner time. I told him that he has to suck it up for the next few weeks, but he has been a little nasty about it." Hermione smiled sadly. "I just hope he comes around."

Severus nodded. "Well, if you plan on being here, why don't you fill out the slips for the potions you made, or take the slips that I have already filled out and put them in the crates? Then, seal the crates and put them in the cupboard over there."

"How do they get delivered?" Hermione slid off the chair and picked up the completed slips.

"The cupboard is charmed to send the crates to my customers. It's all with a simple spell I created. And, its free, I don't have to pay for the morning owls." Severus slid his glasses back down his nose.

"Can you show me?" Hermione slapped a hand over her mouth. Part of her contract was about not annoying him with idle chatter and he had made it very clear that he would be unyielding with his standards. "Sorry, sir."

"What are you sorry for?" Severus looked at her with mild interest. "Miss Granger, I was you teacher for 6 years. I can tell the difference between a know it all and someone who actually wants to learn someone else's knowledge. I cannot fault you for wanting to learn. However, whatever I show you here of my own inventions I must demand that you keep to yourself. I escaped the wizarding world for a reason."

He stood and walked over to where she was sealing crates. "I understand how this is strange. How I acted in my years at Hogwarts are not my true personality. How I am here, in a place where I can do what I love, without the eyes of Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall on me, without the eyes of Death Eater children and the Dark Lord himself, I can actually have my true personality present." He slipped parchment into crates with speed and grace. "I am still very personal and I don't like to share my thoughts and emotions. Just because I am sharing this with you now, does not mean that we will be 'braiding each other's hair' or any other soul bearing activities, but I will not fault you for wanting to learn and to better yourself. We are equals here. You are a potions mistress now, not a school girl. It's time to stop acting like this."

"Acting like what, sir?"

"Like you're still afraid of me."

Severus turned and flicked his wand, the sealed crates floating up and seating themselves into the cupboard.

"Sir, I am not afraid of you. We all saw the memories, we know what you did…" Hermione continued her slip deposit.

"Yes, the memories. I was wondering when you would bring those up." Severus ran a hand through his hair. "Those were to prove to Mr. Potter that I was not the monster that you all thought I was. It was also to share with him his fate that Dumbledore neglected to tell him." He turned back to her. "I never thought he would submit them as evidence in my trial."

"But it kept you from Azkaban!" Hermione exclaimed. She couldn't believe how he was acting. It was almost like he though he didn't deserve the redemption that he had.

"And how many other Death Eaters are there in my place?" Snape put his glasses on his nose to prepare the next day's orders. "I have murdered and tortured and done just about everything that they have done. I am no better than them."

Hermione stood, mouth agape, staring at the man who calmly sorted papers into piles.

"Miss Granger, I advise you to close your mouth, you'll catch flies." Severus looked at her over his glasses.

"I just don't understand, sir."

"Well, it's not for you to understand, now is it?" he stood up. "I am the way I am. I don't feel like I should be a free man, but that cannot be helped now, can it?" He handed her the folder of potions for the next day.

"It's late. Go home and get some rest."

*S*S*

Tuesday morning, Hermione sat at her desk in the ministry, twirling a quill in her fingers. The tentative relationship Severus and she had was strained a little more than normal. Severus clearly didn't want to hear about his heroism, and only saw himself as the villain.

Hermione didn't know how to turn his mind around, but she knew that she wouldn't be able to save him. Harry, Ron and herself had already done that and he clearly wanted nothing to do with them in that way. She figured that she would need to apologize for the dredging of old facts, hopefully in a way that would clear the air.

"Hermione?"

She turned and found her friend from University, Britney Mitchel, standing in her cubicle door.

"Oh, what are you doing here? What happened to the internship?" Hermione jumped up and hugged her friend.

"I came back from Iceland. I'm done with my internship and I'm back here to stay. I needed a new job, and I found one in the misuse of potions office."

"You're right down the hall from me!" Hermione held onto her friend's hands.

"Do you want to get lunch?" Britney asked, already pulling Hermione to the door.

"Let me get my purse and then we can go. There's a great little Italian restaurant down the street." Hermione slipped out of her heels and put on her walking flats and got her purse.

The two women left together, arm in arm. Both poked their head into their supervisor's office to inform them that they were going to lunch.

"Oh, Brit, I have so much to tell you!" Hermione led her down the street to the red brick restaurant where Hermione frequently ate lunch.

Once they were seated and ordered their meals, Britney grabbed Hermione's hands again. "Alright, tell me everything. How's Ron, how's work?"

Hermione laughed and accepted the wine from the waiter. "Ron's great. We're talking about moving in together in the next couple months. He's still working with his brother and the Aurors." She took a sip. "I also got a new job. It pays the same as my Ministry job so I'll be able to buy a house soon."

"Hermione, that's great!" Britney was always happy for her friend's successes. When they were in school together, Hermione had beaten Britney for the valedictorian spot and Britney was salutatorian. It never phased her though. Hermione's success was her success. When internships came up, Hermione had given up the Iceland internship for her friend. Britney had managed to land the internship with one of the world's most famous potions master's, Þórarinn Guðnason.

"So tell me about Iceland. How was it?" Hermione moved her arms so the waiter could place the pasta dish in front of her.

"Oh Hermione, it was soooooo great! Þórarinn Guðnason is a genius! We were working on a skin care potion that helps heal burn victims and Master Guðnason put my name on the patent so I'm making money from the work. He and I decided to stay in contact to help each other."

"I'm so happy for you! That's fabulous!" Hermione took a bite of her pasta.

"So where are you working? Other than the Ministry, of course."

"Oh, I work for Prince Potions now."

"Prince Potions?" Britney gasped. "Master Guðnason works with the owner! He says that the owner is the best in Europe!"

Hermione chewed on a breadstick, deep in thought. She had never thought of Snape as a genius or the best, but she knew that he was very smart. She was certainly lucky that she was able to work under his tutelage, and for pay. Hermione knew that there were people that she and Britney went to school with that had to get internships for no pay. One of the boys they knew still lived at home with his parents because he couldn't afford to live on his own.

"I had no idea that I worked with someone so smart," Hermione twirled the pasta onto her fork. "Well, I knew he was smart, but not that he was the smartest in Europe."

"Maybe you should talk to him about it?" Britney smiled. "we always spoke so highly of his skills in Iceland."

"Maybe I will."

*S*S*

Later that night, Hermione walked into the basement lab of Prince Potions, dropping her bag onto the hook, she always left her stuff on. Snape was seated where he had been the night before, working on some form of paperwork. Hermione took the folder with the potions orders and placed it on her station table.

"Professor?" Hermione went to the sink and quickly washed her hands. While she waited for him to acknowledge her, she put on the leather apron and went to her station with the folder.

"Yes, Miss Granger?" He didn't look up and continued to write on the paper.

"I met with a friend of mine this afternoon, and she has just come back from an internship with Þórarinn Guðnason and apparently he says he knows you?"

"Yes, I do know him. He and I have worked together on several projects in the past." He left it at that.

"He said that you were the best in Europe at potion making." Hermione started to chop her rat tails for the hair growth potion she was working on.

"I am." The quill scratched on the parchment with no signs of stopping.

"Why haven't you said anything about being the best yet?" Hermione laid down her knife and scooped the tails into a bowl.

"Because I didn't see reason to." Severus looked up at her finally, his eyes a little narrow over his glasses. "Why are you asking me all these questions, Miss Granger? If you and your little friend are planning something, I would strongly advise against it."

"What? Professor, we're not planning anything." Hermione was getting more and more angry with every passing moment. "Sir, we were catching up earlier and she mentioned her internship. That's all. She and I were in school together and she was #2 in our class."

Severus took a deep breath and nodded stiffly. "Maybe, we can arrange for the two of them to come here and brew with us. The two of you could learn a thing or two."

Hermione smiled a little and nodded.

"Return to your brewing. I have paperwork to do."

*S*S*

Hermione rolled her shoulders back and rubbed a hand over her neck, trying and failing to relieve the ache. She had been brewing for three hours before Snape had had her help him move dozens of crates of ingredients into the storage closet. Unfortunately, the ingredients were magic sensitive and had to be moved by hand. Severus had been kind and paid her an additional 50 galleons for the work that she did under the table. He had said it wasn't right for him to keep her for overtime and not pay her for it.

Before she had come home, she had used some of that money to do her grocery shopping before the shops closed, and she even had a little time to swing into her favorite clothing store to buy more of the skirts she preferred to wear while she brewed.

Now she had all the time in the world to relax and take a much-needed break before doing it all again the next day. She had just put away the clothes and the groceries when her floo activated and Ron stepped out onto her hearth rug, brushing off the soot on his threadbare robes.

"Hello, love, what's brought you here? I didn't think we had plans?" Hermione had poked her head out of the kitchen to look at her boyfriend.

"No, we didn't have plans. I'm sick of us not having plans, Hermione." Ron sat on the couch heavily, waving away the tea Hermione brought him.

"Ron, you know the crazy hours that I work now. You, Harry and Ginny all said that you were fine with going out later, or waiting till I could ask for time off after working there for six months. There's nothing that I can do about this. I wish there was but I could lose this job and we need it." Hermione went back to stir the pot that was bubbling away on the stove.

"We need it? Hermione, this job doesn't benefit me in the slightest!" Ron's voice went up in volume.

"How does it not? You were the one who keeps talking about buying a house together, but we can't afford it on a ministry salary and with what you make with the joke shop. Furthermore, you were the one who told me to apply."

"Because I didn't think he would have you working every fucking day, Hermione!" He ran his hands through his hair, clinging to the ends of it. "I thought I would be able to see you before bloody midnight."

"Ron, there's nothing I can do! He pays me for the time that I work and I'm making good money! And I get to use my degree." Hermione slammed her spoon down on the counter and glared at him. They really didn't fight, but when they did, they could get loud. Hermione preferred the fights that they had as kids over the ones that they had as adults. As kids, Hermione was just a nag, but now as Ronald Weasley's girlfriend, the fights they had were more geared toward her not taking care of his needs.

"And that's another thing! How do I know that you're working for him just for the sake of working for him? You and Harry were so keen on getting him out of Azkaban. How do I know that there isn't anything going on between the two of you? Maybe that's why you like to work long hours. Because you and Severus fucking Snape are such good buddies."

"He's my boss, Ron!" Hermione couldn't believe what she was hearing. "And he's 20 years my senior. And he hates the fact that Harry and I kept him from jail. There is nothing going on between him and I. How dare you imply that there was. I would never do that to you."

Ron just turned away.

"Why do you think there is something going on between us, Ron?"

"I don't know Hermione. You just never liked working long hours before, we used to go out and do things. Now, I'm lucky if I see you once a week."

"I'm sorry. But I don't know what you want me to do?"

"I want to see you more. I think you should work shorter hours with Snape or less days." He turned back around.

"Ron, it's a fixed schedule. He told me that I would be fired."

"Maybe that's a good thing then." Ron crossed his arms and refused to break eye contact.

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Then I would get to see you outside of this apartment!" Ron stomped over to the floo. "I have to go." And just like that, he was gone.

Hermione stared at the dwindling flames for a minute or two before she fell to the floor, her body shaking with sobs, the pot on the stove forgotten.


	3. Chapter 3: A professional appears

Hermione sank to the floor, her hand covered over her mouth as she sobbed. "It's not worth it.. its not worth it…" she mumbled through her tears. She was so tired of Ron and his negativity. The first time they had fought was over a man dancing with her at a ministry event when they first started dating. She refused to speak to him for days. She had a sinking feeling that this was going to be the case again.

Hermione was so distraught that she didn't hear her floo activate once more, but she did notice when a cold hand grasped her elbow, causing her to jump and try to blink back her tears.

"Professor?" She quickly dabbed her face with the edge of her skirt. "What are you doing here? How did you know where I live?"

"You put your address on the forms I made you fill out. Now, up you get." He helped her stand and then sit in one of her mismatched kitchen chairs, then he turned to the stove to turn off the burning meal she had forgotten. "What was all this about?"

"Ron come by and we had a fight. He wants me to quit working for you."

Severus gestured toward the tea kettle, and when Hermione nodded, he flicked his wand, pouring two steaming cups of jasmine tea. "And what did you tell him?"

He sat across from her and placed the chipped mug in front of her. If Hermione was in a better mood, she might have been shocked that Severus Snape was in her home, having tea with her, like an old friend.

"I told him that it wasn't an option. I don't want to lose my job with you or at the ministry. He's upset that he can basically pick his own hours and I can't." she sipped her tea and sighed.

"I see." Severus took a sip of his own brew. "I'm going to tell you something that my mother told me many years ago. Granted, she was speaking of friends at the time, but it still applies. If they cannot support you in all that you do, they are not worth your time."

Hermione smiled a little and wiped the remaining tears from her eyes.

"And if he makes you cry, is he really worth it?"

Hermione stirred another spoonful of sugar into her tea. "I would say not. But he can be kind."

Severus smirked. "So was my father, until he wasn't and beat my mother and myself."

"He what?" Hermione was aghast. She had heard of parents abusing their children, but she never thought she would meet a survivor.

"Oh, I had assumed it came out in the trial." He twisted the mug in his hands. "Yes, he was a monster, to me and my mother, but going to Hogwarts was a godsent. The abuse lightened for my mother at home when I wasn't there, and when I was home for the summer, I stayed out of the house as much as possible. It just made things easier. My original point, was that it is not worth jumping through hoops for those who won't return the favor."

Hermione reached across the table and lightly touched the back of his hand.

"It was not mentioned as a point of pity, Miss Granger," He took another sip of his tea.

"Yes… well, speaking of things not mentioned, not to be rude, but why are you here?"

Severus cleared his throat. "Oh, that, you left your jacket on the chair in my living room, and I thought I would bring it back." He looked a little embarrassed, as there was a little color high on his cheeks.

"That was very thoughtful of you, Professor." Hermione smiled and got up from the table. She stood by the stove and picked up the pot, examining the contents. "Well, this is useless. I have to restart dinner, would you like to stay?"

Severus looked touched and then with a small smile, he nodded. "That's very kind of you, Miss Granger."

"Please, call me Hermione. We're co-workers now, its only fitting." She tossed the pan into the stove and turned on the tap, preparing it to soak in hot water. "I know you don't like me or my friends, but for what it's worth, you weren't a bad teacher. We all really learned a lot from you."

Severus leaned against the counter with the cup of tea in his hands and raised an eyebrow. "Really? And here I was, only trying to make everyone's life as miserable as possible." He chuckled a little.

"Did you just make a joke?" Hermione pulled another pan out of the cabinet next to her sink and filled it with water. Getting a clean knife, she started to dice an onion and prep to make tomato soup. "Is tomato soup alright? If not, I could make something else."

"That's perfect. I would have made sandwiches like I usually do after work."

"You don't have a hot meal after work?" Hermione turned shocked. "Well, then, I will have to cook for two then."

"Truly, you don't have to do that." Severus finished his cup and placed it on the counter, filling with more tea. He took up a knife and started to dice tomatoes.

"I don't mind, Professor. I cook in large batches anyways. I can just as easily make food in your kitchen or bring meals over when I come in the afternoon."

"If I am to call you Hermione, then you may call me Severus." He tipped the chopped tomatoes into the soup pot. "Why are you boiling water?"

"I'm making beef stock for next week. I try to cook as often as I can to save money." Hermione dropped beef bones into the water, covering the pot with a lid. "I make soup and freeze it so I'll have it when it's get cold, I have good hot soup without having to slave over it all the time."

"I see." Severus continued to add to the soup they were making before it was due to simmer for a while. The pair went back to the living room for the remaining time, Severus walking among the shelves, looking at the titles she possessed.

"These are some rare titles. Where did you get them?" Severus pulled a book off the shelf, titled, _The art of defense potions_.

"My advisor gave them to me upon my graduation." Hermione had traded her tea for a glass of white wine, and she walked around the room, lighting the lamps.

"Who was your advisor?" Severus placed his cup down and was flipping through the book, slowly sinking into one of her armchairs.

"Douglas Nickleson. Why?" She sat next to him on the sofa next to the armchair.

"He was my advisor." Severus was miles away as he read the book on his lap. "I haven't seen him in years."

"He's doing well. I say him two months ago, his daughter just had a little girl."

Hermione stood and walked into the kitchen, doling two helpings of the soup. "Would you like to eat in here or the living room? Wherever you choose, you can bring the book."

*S*S*

Hermione walked into the kitchen of Severus Snape's home, a large tote over her arm. Making good of her promise, she had brought several meals for the man, so he didn't have to cook for the next week. She had dug through her freezer, selecting meals that she had made that she thought he would like, the dates of their expiration on their lids. Stuffed chicken, baked ziti, soups and breads of all kinds, and any other item he could want were in the glass to go containers she had in her home. She was no Molly Weasley, but she could fend for herself.

She walked into the kitchen where Severus was seated, his hands cupped around a mug of tea. His eyebrows threatened to take up residence in his hair line when she pulled out container after container of meals.

"You do know, I can cook for myself and I do have working hands. I can navigate myself around a kitchen."

"I know that, but, now you just have to wave your wand and it's like you cooked them fresh yourself. It's the least I could do." She placed the tote on the chair nearest her. "I also brought a few bottles of my parents' homemade wines and some of my mother's cheese and garlic bread. I figured it would be a change from the plain white in the house." She pulled four full bottles of wine and a loaf of bread out, placing them on the counter.

"You didn't have to bring me wine, Miss Gra- Hermione. I can bake my own bread. Plain white is easier and cheaper in the market anyways."

"Well, I make bread fresh on the weekends. I am more than happy to bring you some on Mondays. I also make scones, biscuits and pies on Saturdays, which I could, again bring to you Monday mornings. I also wished to extend an invitation to my home for Thursday night. Professor Nickleson is coming for supper at 8pm."

"I wouldn't want to impose. Have a good time, you don't need to worry about me."

"Well, even if I didn't want you there, which isn't true, he did ask for you by name to come and visit. He wrote me this morning." Hermione surrendered a letter to her former professor to read.

 _Dearest Hermione,_

 _It has been much too long since we have had proper time to rehash the boring normality that is our lives together over a glass of strong mead. I have several pictures of Amber, the newest addition to my family to show you, and I am sure you have many complaints about that Ronald boy you are seeing that you would like to share with me._

 _I also have heard through the grapevine that you are now the working with my ex-student Severus Snape. He is a wonderful person and you will learn a great deal from him. He was one of my most special students and I am so glad that he agreed to take you on and make you even better than you already are. You should bring him to one of our dinners, as I would like to catch up with him as well. I am free this Thursday, and if it suits you, we could meet at my home or yours at around 830pm?_

 _All the best,_

 _Professor Nickleson_

Hermione took the paper back and folded it in half. "I responded on our behalf. I told him that my house is always open and that I would try to make sure you were there."

Severus steepled his fingers and rested his fingers, contemplating the idea of a night with his employee and his old advisor. He had not seen Nickleson since he was a student, completing his mastery, and while they had written back and forth, there was little effort on Severus' part for them to meet.

"It would be a… pleasant change of pace. I assume that this is a formal occasion?"

Hermione chuckled. "Merlin, no. The last time he and I got together, I sat on my couch with wine in my pajamas. Wear something comfortable. And no, you do not have to bring anything."

She finished putting the meals away, tucking the loaf of bread into the bread box. The wine was sent to the rack on the bar in the potions master's dining room, waiting to be opened at a later date. "Have you eaten yet?"

"I can feed myself, Hermione." Snape finished his mug of tea. "And yes I have eaten. Now, we have work to do in the lab."

*S*S*

Hermione swiveled in her chair after lunch, writing out labels for the shipments that would go out that day. She was careful to keep the addresses neat and clear, while her 4 cauldrons of blood replenisher simmered for another 30 minutes. Professor Snape would not allow her to start another potion until the four were finished, as he didn't trust her not to blow up the lab with five cauldrons going.

She looked up from her work to see the man moving between two tables of cauldrons, his movements fluid and graceful. His wand flicked over ingredients and he had books and other paperwork flying around the room to their proper places without even a bat of the eye. She was aware of the eyes that would look at her every few minutes, but she was trying her best to ignore the man who was still hesitant around her.

Hermione propped her head up with one hand and sighed a little. Her relationship with Snape had changed a little since her appointment as his assistant two weeks prior. He still would not call her by her first name easily. He always looked like he was in great pain when he did so. She could understand, as she was a thorn in his side for many years and she was one of the large reasons he was no longer in Azkaban. While he had only been there for a week, she still felt horrible that they were unable to get him out sooner.

Harry, Ginny and Hermione had brought him good food and blankets for his stay there, and since the guards were now wizards and not the Dementors that once lurked the halls, it was easier to pull some strings and be granted daily access to the man to go over his trial and to give him meals. He had lost weight do to the stress of war and the stay in a damp, cold and stressful environment. When he appeared in court, he was a shell of himself.

Hermione waved her wand and the finished labels flew to their appropriate boxes, before she stood to bottle the mixture she was making. The bottles landed into the labeled boxes, settled into the packing material that was placed inside. She rubbed a hand across her neck, trying to relieve the ache that had settled in it. When she looked up, she noticed that the potions master was looking at her with his dark eyes. She gulped and returned to her brewing.

*S*S*

Hermione shifted in her heels, her dress robes open to reveal the purple shirt and black pencil shirt she wore. She had a half dozen folders in her arms waiting to be dropped off on Minister Shacklebolt's desk. In the last week, she had been handed the job that Percy Weasley had dreamed off for many years, Senior Under-Secretary to the Minister. It took up a lot of her time, and often, she found herself bringing her paperwork to Snape's house to read through while the potions simmered. She had large purple bags under her eyes that she fruitlessly covered with concealer, biting back yawns in board meetings.

When Hermione heard the man hang up the floo call, she walked into the room, knocking on the door with one hand.

"Good morning, Minister!" She forced cheerfulness into her voice as she placed the folders on his desk and placed a steaming mug of tea onto the cork coaster he had for all his beverages.

"Hermione, you look like hell. When was the last time you had a decent night's rest?" Kingsley took a careful sip of his tea.

"To be honest, sir? It's been a while." She rubbed her hand over the back of her neck.

"What are you up to? Are you and young Ronald alright?"

"Yes, sir, we're alright." Hermione smiled a little. "I got a new job with Prince Potions about three weeks ago and I'm still getting used to the hours."

"I'm worried Hermione. You come here, dead on your feet, then you rush out of here at close to go to another full time job. You're going to burn out eventually."

"I will be fine sir." Hermione bowed out of the room and went to her new office, sitting heavily in her seat. She opened her desk drawer and pulled out a vial of pepperup potion, one that was formulated to not give the telltale signs of the user ingesting it, like the smoke coming from one's ears. As she swallowed the mixture and felt her energy return, Harry Potter, dressed in his Auror robes poked his head in, holding two breakfast burritos and tea.

"I figured you would need a pick me up." He sat in her chair for visitors and handed her the meal.

"Thank you." She took a sip of the tea before unwrapping the burrito and taking a bite. "I am so tired. I have no idea how I am going to get through the day."

"How late were you out last night?" Harry started to eat his own meal.

"I got home around 1:30 am." Hermione shook her head. "I should have gone home sooner. He usually only keeps me till 8, but we were so close to catching up to all the orders, we kept working until it was done." She looked into the mirror on her desk and pulled at her bags. "The minister is going to send me home, I can feel it. I feel fine, just a little tired. Snape wants me to take the night off anyways so I can sleep."

"I thought you weren't going to have nights off for another 5 months?" Harry wrapped more of his food, prepared to take a bite.

"I thought the same thing. But he was falling asleep standing up. He doesn't want to work tomorrow and therefore, neither do I." She sighed. So tonight, I get to sleep and tomorrow, Professor Nickleson and Snape are coming to my house to have dinner. He and I both had Nickleson as our advisor in school."

Harry shook his head. "Ron is going to go spare. He's been ranting about how you don't want to spend time with him and such for the last two weeks."

"I know, he came to my house two or so days ago to yell about my jobs and how I should quit. But, I'm doing this for him and I. This money is going to pay for a house for the two of us. This will pay for the wedding he keeps bringing up that he wants to have, but he hasn't proposed yet, mind you. Also, he hasn't been putting money into the joint account, so I drained it of my money and put it into my independent house fund." She swiped at her eyeshadow. "I'm not sure if it was the smartest move, but it was a gut feeling."

"It's for the best. Ron isn't the smartest with money. He blew quite a few galleons on dinner the other night."

"You all went out the other night?" Hermione picked up her tea again.

"He didn't tell you?" Harry looked down at his own tea. "He said he was going to."

"I assume he figured I wouldn't be going out regardless. Long hours and such." She took a long sip and drained her mug.

"'Mione, we want to hang out with you. Tell you what, on Friday, come over to my place. Ginny will be there, and we can catch up like old times. We don't even have to tell Ron."

"Can I let you know how I feel on Thursday?"

"Of course. Ginny always cooks too much. We planned on inviting George. He's been out of sorts for a little bit and we want to get him away from everything."

*S*S*

Hermione walked into Severus' house, hanging her bag up on the hook along with her sweater, taking out the folder of paperwork she had to do for the minister for the next morning. "Hello, sir." She gave Dover a pat and moved to the cellar to begin her work.

Severus watched her move down the stairs, closing the door behind her. He had noticed that she was starting to burn out, which was not good. He had seen her like this once before, when she was working in her third year, trying to finish all of her school work, going backwards and forward in time, struggling to stay awake during his lessons and during meal times. He knew there was a chance that her ruining her career over this, as he had done the same once before, but he was willing to help her along the way as much as he could.

He took a moment to feed Dover and to clean up the kitchen before he too went down into the lab, where Hermione was seated at her table, with labels filling out behind her and sticking to the boxes, while she chopped newt tail, jarring it for later.

"Miss Granger," Severus started, "Is everything alright? You seem very tired today and if I am honest with myself, you have been tired for the past week, to the point where I am getting worried."

"I'm fine, sir." Hermione tipped the tails into the jar and started on the beetle eyes, popping them out of their casings and dropping them into the jars, with the preservation charms on them. She stifled a yawn, trying to keep her eyes from dropping closed. She had slept a full 12 hours the night before, but she was still tired, which frustrated her to no end. She had to leave a little early to get the food prepared for the dinner she was hosting, but she figured that she could make up for the lost time by speeding through the prep with a little magic. She hated using magic when she was cooking but they planned on eating by 830.

"Are you sure you will be ready to host myself and Professor Nickleson?" Severus sat down at his desk and started at the paperwork that needed to be done.

"Yes, I will. I just need to leave a few minutes early so I can get everything ready for the meal, which is mostly just the prepping. I have some of it done, but not all." Hermione wiped a hand over her face and took a deep breath. "I need about fifteen minutes for prep, that's all I need."

Severus took his glasses out of the case and put them on his nose. "I can help you with that, if it makes things easier. I know how to cook, I just don't do so often. But I can work my way around a kitchen, and I can take direction from others."

Hermione smiled a little and nodded, as the labels finished writing themselves. With a wave of her wand, the labels attached themselves to the boxes, and the remaining potions bottled themselves. The bottles made it to the boxes and the boxes sealed themselves. With her jobs for the time being done, she started on her paperwork, the work that was needed for her job at the ministry, which she had neglected for the last day. She needed to get her work done, or run the risk of another getting her job. She needed the money for her house fund, and she desperately wanted to buy a real home in the next few years.

She watched from the corner of her eye, Severus pack up for the day. There were no new orders and there wouldn't be until tomorrow the earliest. With a sigh, she packed up her papers and filed out of the lab, gathering up her items. Her heels clicked on the floor as she walked to the floo with her items.

"How do you work with those heels?" Severus packed away his jacket and robes, choosing to stay in his white pressed shirt and his black dress slacks.

"I work a desk job for the most part. Heels don't hurt me like someone who works on their feet every day."

Hermione landed on her feet on her living room rug and moved out of the way for Severus to come through. Once he was in, Hermione went to her shoe rack and kicked her shoes off, placing them where they should be. Severus walked to the kitchen, ready to begin cooking. Hermione followed behind him, waving her wand to light the lamps and to uncovered the vegetables that she had prepped that morning before work.

"So, what are we cooking?"

Hermione dumped the veggies onto a baking tray with a little pepper, salt and olive oil. "I was thinking about having some roasted zucchini, squash, peppers and corn with roasted chicken and risotto. I made the vegetables the last time he was here, and he really liked them. I also want to make a light salad or a light summer soup, just something to tide us over until the chicken is done."

"I could use the squash to make a squash soup." Severus took a large pot and prepared to start making a little more soup than they would need in order to freeze the helpings for the coming week. Hermione laid three medium sized chicken breasts on another pan, spicing it to the tastes of her guests. Once that was in the oven, she started on the risotto which was a personal favorite of the university professor's.

"Is there something that I am missing?" Hermione started to stir the contents of the pan while Severus stirred the soup.

"Do you have anymore of your mother's bread?" Severus seasoned the soup a little, tasting the mixture with a spoon from the drawer.

"I do, was that something you liked?" Hermione smiled at him.

"Well, it was a very delicious of loaf. Some of the best that I have ever had." Severus' face tinged red at the tops of his cheekbones and on the tip of his nose.

"If you liked it, feel free to take more. I always have some in the house." Hermione opened the oven to check on the chicken before she waved her wand to allow the risotto to stir itself so she could sit. "Would you like a drink? I have wine, rum, brandy, whiskey, tea, water, beer, some muggle soda. Anything I don't have, there is a market down the street I can pop to in order to get whatever you wish."

"Tea would be nice, and I might take you up on the whiskey as the night progresses." Severus waited until she waved her wand and two steaming cups landed on the sideboard with milk and sugar being added as if by an invisible hand.

Severus took a sip and closed his eyes, relishing at the taste. He never seemed to make the tea as well as Miss Granger seemed to. He would never tell her, but in the three weeks they had worked together, he could see them becoming friends. With the Dark Lord dead, and the worst of the death eaters were either dead, Kissed, or were in Azkaban, so if they were to be friends there was little worry of the retaliation that could happen.

However, there was a little issue that he had called gripping fear of rejection. Therefore, he would never try to be her friend.

*S*S*

"Professor!" Hermione stepped across the floor, sliding across the floor a little in her pantyhose and skirt. She had yet to change from work and the only difference was that her robes were in the laundry waiting to be washed.

The old man came out of the floo with a basket in one hand and a cane in the other. "Hermione, my dear, it has been too long!" He handed her the basket and accepted the wine she handed him.

"How is the family?" Hermione led him to the kitchen, one hand on his arm and the other out to open the door.

"Wonderful, just wonderful! Severus, my dear boy, it's been nearly 20 years has it not?" Nickleson placed his wine and cane down and embraced the man who was at the stove cooking. Severus placed the spoon down and hugged the man back, patting him a few times.

"I am so glad that you and Hermione are working together. The community is absolutely buzzing with excitement. The brightest witch of her age and the youngest ever to get his mastery, ooohoo, I was excited that I could say I taught you both." He let the younger man go and then sat heavily on the chair, sipping his wine.

"Hermione and I have been having these little dinners for a while now, we usually complain about our lives and such, but now that you're here, Severus, you can join our little club." He shifted around as Hermione and Severus joined him at the table.

"So, Hermione, tell me. How are you and Ronald doing? How is the house hunting?"

"I am not even sure. We had a joint account for the fund, but I drained it a little over a month ago, as he wasn't putting any money in. I opened my own account and have been shoveling as much as I could into it every month, but Ron doesn't seem to care. We're supposed to be saving for our wedding but he doesn't seem too interested in that either." She sighed and settled a little further down in her seat. "He's more focused on the fact that I work round the clock now and I am not around to party with him as I used to. That seems to be all he wants to do."

"My dear, if he truly loves you, he'll come around. Now, Severus, what's new with you?"

"Not too terribly much. I have hired Miss Granger here, but in the past few years not much has been new." He waved his wand, and the meal plated itself and flew to the table.

"What about you, Professor?"

"Well, I have three new grandchildren and I have found out that I am to be a great-grandfather, which is very exciting, and I am to be the advisor of three new promising pupils." He took a spoonful of the squash soup and made a delighted noise. "Hermione, did you make this?"

"No, that was all Severus. He is quite the master in the kitchen." Hermione took a bite herself, and gave Severus a small smile.

 **Hello, I am back and I am very much alive. Yesterday was my 21** **st** **birthday so I wasn't around to update, but I am working on the other stories I have going on as well. Thank you all for being so patient with me and the fact that I don't update very often.**

 **Lots of love,**

 **Erectopatronum**


	4. Chapter 4: Contracts and Patients

**This story is very quickly becoming my most popular story and I am so happy! We are about 20 favorite away from my first hundred and I am shocked and grateful that you all want to be updated when I post new chapters! I also realized I made a mistake in the last chapter. To clarify: Hermione is on a trial period with Snape for a month, not six. I got mixed up with another story I am currently writing. Please keep reviewing and favoriting! IT makes my day to keep getting the emails that you all like my stories!**

Hermione stood at the sink, washing the dinner dishes while Severus and Professor Nickleson sat in the living room, drinking wine and catching up with one another. She was trying to make sure that she gave them the space that they needed in order for Severus to be open with his old mentor. She knew she didn't have to do the dishes by hand, but it was a holdover from when she helped her mother do the dishes when she was a young child.

She poked her head out of the room, a wet sponge still in her hand. Severus and Professor Nickleson were on the couch, both with a glass of scotch and a large collection of books on the coffee table before them. Hermione had never seen Professor Snape so laid back and, dare she say, happy. She never would have been able to imagine that Severus Snape would be so relaxed in her home. But here he was, lounging back on her threadbare sofa, laughing easily with the elderly man.

She stuck the last dish into the drying rack and took a rag from her oven handle to dry her hands, turning back to the food that was waiting to be put in the refrigerator. She planned on keeping a third of the food for herself and sending the rest with the two men that were in her living room, making their way through her personal bar.

She didn't mind too much. Professor Nickleson had been a positive influence in both her life and Severus Snape's, and she knew that not many of them were still alive any longer. She understood the feeling. With her parents memories just returned to their entirety, she and her mother and father were having to build that trusting and loving relationship up from scratch. Her parents had been livid when they discovered she had alters their memories without consent, but they would never had understood. The Death Eaters didn't know what they looked like, and she had made a very hard effort to make sure they came into the Wizarding World with her as little as possible. Because there was no photos published of Emma and John Granger to the Wizard Public, she could simply wipe their memories and give them the little push they needed to move. Leaving the listings of homes in Australia on their coffee table had done the trick.

"Hermione, dear!" she heard Nickleson's booming voice from the living room, so she walked around the corner to see him waving a full glass of scotch, the liquid sloshing over the edge of the glass onto her Persian rug. The rug, she didn't care too much about. She had taken much of the Granger's belongings when she altered their memories, making them think they had sold many things in preparation to move. The things she took were tucked into storage for a few years until she could get the apartment she was in now, so she had some furniture.

"Oops, sorry my dear," he slurred his words a little. "I was telling Severus here what a bright student you were, and here he is, telling me that you lit him on fire when you were 11?"

Hermione's cheeks turned bright red, causing Severus to smirk. "you knew about that?"

"Of course I did, Miss Granger. Who else in the school could conjure electric blue flames?" Snape took a sip of his drink. "You ruined my favorite winter cloak by the way. The one I bought as a replacement will never compare." He flicked imaginary dust off of his cloak, reaching out to grasp another book, placing his scotch on the Gryffindor coaster that sat on the table.

"I am truly sorry, professor, I was…I just…"

"Miss Granger, first of all, I am no longer your professor, and secondly, what's done is done. It was what, eleven years ago? I can hardly take away house points any longer."

"I suppose that's true." Hermione ran a hand through her bushy hair and sighed. Moving to the bar at the other end of the living room, she poured herself a glass of white wine and joined them in front of the coffee table where her books were spewn all over.

She was always one for order, and when Ron moved her books to places that they did not belong, she went crazy, yelling at him, her hair even larger and her wand was usually in her hand, ready to jinx him as soon as he moved too close. But for some reason, as Severus moved through the stacks he had pulled from her library, she wasn't too angry. She was still itching to put them back, but she wasn't ready to curse the dour man.

"Where did you get all these books, Miss Granger?"

"Oh, um, well, I have bought some, received about half as gifts and I rescued the rest from the Hogwarts Library. When the death eaters invaded the school, they lit the room on fire. I snuck in and put them in my expandable bag. I then, after the war, returned those that Madame Pince wanted back to the school and kept those she deemed unrepairable. My friend from school has experience mending books so I took all of these to her and she saved them for me. Now I have a rather large collection which I am very proud of."

"Why am I not surprised you risked your life for books?" Severus shook his head and opened the cover to _The magical uses of kitchen herbs in standard potions._

*S*S*

The two quickly fell into a routine. Hermione worked with the ministry 9-330, Monday through Thursday. Then she went to Severus' home from 4-9, to go home and feed herself and the cat, shower and any thing else that needed to get done. On Monday, she brought Severus his weekly meals and some of her books. Severus, in return, would give her some of his and some of the wine he made. He had also clued her into a grocery delivery service so she no longer had to wake up at 6 am to sleepily buy her groceries.

Friday through Sunday, she arrived at 9am and stayed until about 9pm, filling orders and making sure that the labels for the boxes were correct. In the rare occasions that they would finish on time, Hermione helped her ex-teacher experiment with his potions and elixirs. He seemed to get the most enjoyment out of those moments, where they could talk professional to professional, and he didn't have to dumb it down, as he seemed to when she was a student.

Her friends were very happy for her, and she was saving more money than she ever had before. Putting away 350 gallons a month, she was well on her way to being the wealthiest muggleborn woman in the Wizarding World. Within a year, she realized, she would have 4,200 gallons in her account, which would be more than enough to put a down payment on a home. Now, she had to get Ronald to do his share with the house fund and they would be able to make a life for themselves.

But Ronald was not too happy with the idea of a house fund, and it had been open for six months, but he hadn't even put away a knut. Hermione had saved 150 gallons a month for the last year, trying to move out of her apartment and to get her life on track. Her personal savings was low, but her home fund contribution was large, stopping at 1,800 gallons. Her mother had been telling her to pull her savings for a while, but she couldn't quite bring herself to, though she did add to the account that money could not be taken out without her there. Either way, she was the only one with a key.

On the last day of her probation, Hermione arrived at work with a large envelope in her hands, and a basket of muffins and scones. The basket was placed on her employer's breakfast bar and the envelope was carried to Snape's study where he was seated, going over forms that had been sent in that morning.

"Ah, Miss Granger, I was wondering when you were to get here." He stood and gathered the documents into a single folder, readying himself for another day's work.

"I'm sorry for being nearly late, sir. I was readying this." She handed him the folder.

"What's this?" Severus placed his own folder down and opened the one from Hermione. As his eyes skimmed down the page, his eyebrows shot up higher and higher in his hairline. "Miss Granger, this, to me, seems like a letter of farewell. But why? Have you had enough of this experience after 31 days or have you found a better paying job?"

"Well, no sir, but I figured you would be letting me go after the trail period was over." Hermione looked down at her toes, waiting for the hammer to fall. "It was my understanding that you found me increasingly annoying and hard to work with."

"I see," Severus sat back down at his desk and laid the paper out before him. Resting one hand on his forehead, he reread the paper over and over.

Full minutes passed and Hermione was starting to sweat. She had hoped that right away Snape would tell her she was an idiot and to get to work, but he was not. Instead, he was completely silent.

After a lifetime, or so it had seemed, had passed, Snape looked up and tucked the paper into the folder again. "Are you happy working here, Miss Granger?"

"What?" Of all the questions she thought she would be answering, that was not one of them.

"Are you happy here?"

"Well, yes, sir, I am. I get to work with a master in my field, I am doing what I love and I am not just a pencil pusher like I am at the Ministry." Hermione smiled. She loved her job with Severus Snape. She was actually making something that was helping people, that she could say actually helped people. Yes, the laws that she helped pass were helpful, and she could see the slow progress of change, but with the potions she made, she knew if she could watch a patient take the healing liquid, there would be actual change.

"Well, that's all I needed to hear." Severus pulled out a stack of stapled parchment and handed it over for her to read.

"What is this?" Hermione flipped through the pages.

"A permanent contract. I am offering you the position if you want it. If you sign it, I will not look for someone to replace you unless you violate one of the rules that are listed in the contract.

Hermione looked down at the parchment in her hand and sat on the couch that was against the back wall in his study. Flipping through the papers she read the list of rules she was not able to violate.

Being late more than 3 times a month with no explanation will result in termination.

Waste of valuable ingredients and/or the destruction of Prince Potions property will result in termination.

Failure to preform duties asked of employee in a timely manner will result in termination.

Failure to give notice of time off for vacations/ appointments/ etc. more than three times in a month will result in termination.

Failure to give notice of new employment two weeks in advance will result in notice to new employer of the fact.

Hermione looked up after reading to see Severus looking at her with a quill held out to her. "What say you, Miss Granger?" He smirked. "Would you like to make this a permanent position?"

"Yes, I would." Hermione got up and took the quill, signing her name with a flourish. "So. I saw on the last condition that you need notice for new jobs?" She cleared her throat. "I'm not sure if this counts, but I was promoted. I am now the senior undersecretary to the minister."

Snape nodded, leaning back in his chair, looking thoughtful. Then he reached into hos desk and pulled out a leather bound notebook. "Have you received an increase in salary?"

"Not that I am aware of. Why?" Hermione placed the quill back in it's holder and the contract was placed next to the notebook.

"Ask your employer. If they raise your salary, I'll match it. But, depending on how business goes, your salary with me might drop or lower. It's in your contract as well. You'll never drop below 200 galleons a month, however, but if I cannot afford to match you one month, I hope you can understand that I will not be able to."

"I completely understand, sir."

Snape closed his notebook after making a few notes and put it away. "Now, we have much work to be done. Go hang your jacket and bag up and meet me in the lab."

He swept from the room, lightly treading down the stairs, the door shutting behind him. Hermione stood up and hung her jacket and bag on her hook, a wide smile on her face. A permanent job in her field was her dream. She could not believe the luck she had, and she hoped that it would last.

*S*S*

"Sir?" Hermione knocked on the door of Kingsley Shacklebolt. "I have the files you requested."

"Perfect, bring them here." Kingsley extended his hand and took the three files Hermione had for him. "Why these Death Eaters are asking for a turn of sentence is beyond me. Look at this-" He showed her one of the requests. "Avery- charged with murder, torture, rape, conspiring to commit terror- the list goes on. He was given a life sentence in Azkaban. Now, he's asking for parole. That new bill is a blessing and a curse, I'll tell you."

The bill, Hermione knew, was the Wulfric Bill, granting those in Azkaban for longer times, or even life sentences, to apply for parole. The requests went through a parole board and then those who were approved where then sent to the Minister, who had final say. So far, Kingsley had only approved 1 person.

"Why is that, sir?" Hermione waited to be invited to sit, in case he was too busy to talk. She needed him in a good mood before she asked for a pay raise.

"Well, some of these people were in fact, put there as a mistake. But Avery, Nott? They are criminals, and they will be serving their life sentences. I cannot release them into the general public again, even with being on house arrest. No, it is too dangerous." He smiled. "Is there anything I can help you with? I know I load a lot onto you."

"Well, sir… there was something I wanted to ask… not that I am ungrateful… But I was wondering if I could… I would like a pay raise sir." Hermione let it out in a rush. "I think that I do more work than I am currently paid for and I would like to be compensated for that."

The minister sat back in his chair, eyebrows raised. He looked thoughtful, and a little shocked, but he kept his cool. Hermione looked nervous, and she knew it, but she could not help it. But she had said it, and there was no going back.

Finally, he sat forward and picked up his quill. Pulling out a large folder of documents, he opened it quickly and flipped through the pages. Hermione caught glimpses of her name and the names of her friends, her old wanted poster from the second wizarding war and other documents that were not public knowledge.

"it says here that you make 200 galleon a month here?" Kingsley looked at her at last.

"Yes, sir I do."

"I actually was going to talk to you about this. It's in the budget for your salary to be doubled as the senior undersecretary. That's why Umbridge didn't want to leave the job. You should be making 400 galleons a month here. I can put that through easily enough. Was there anything else? Any other money you think should be allocated?"

Hermione tapped her lip with her finger. "If its not too much trouble, perhaps we would be able to give Mr. Weasley a raise?"

"Arthur?" Another folder was taken out with a spreadsheet of salaries. After some time, he started to tip his bald head back and forth. "It is possible. I'll pass along a recommendation to his supervisor and imply that I want it approved. However, for you, in the next pay period, you will see an increase in pay."

"Perfect, thank you, Minister." She was relieved. She had never imagined it would go as well as it did, but here she was, now making 600 galleons a month. And if good fortune held out, she would be making 800 a month which would fill her house fund quicker than she ever imagined. Ron wouldn't be too pleased. He had already sent her flowers, the note expressing how proud he was of her for getting her free time back. They were having dinner with Harry and Ginny tonight, the first time in a month. Harry and Ginny knew that she was still working for Snape, and that he was going to increase her pay. Her excited floo call had spilled every detail from the night before.

When Harry had asked her if she had told Ron, she was silent and shook her head.

" _He wouldn't understand, Harry." Hermione cried, shaking her head. "He's been counting down the days till I would be let go. He's so ready for us to get our nights back. But I'm trying to save money for him and I."_

" _But Hermione, you've said it yourself. He's not helping you save, he wants you to quit your job, the job mind you, that you have been dreaming of for years. Are you working with Severus Snape, yes, but he is a master in his field. Your field, which makes it even more important. He has so many connections, connections that I don't need to remind you, you need. You're known for being my best friend, but now you need to be known as Hermione Granger, the Potions Mistress."_

" _I understand that Harry, but what if he takes it the wrong way, what if we break up?"_

" _Then you break up." Ginny's head popped over her fiancé's shoulder. "I love my brother, but if he is acting like a complete knob over a job, then he's not worth it."_

" _I'm not afraid of being single. I just don't know what it will do to us."_

" _You two will be fine-"_

" _No, no! Us, you me, Ginny, Ron. Hanging out will be weird, parties will be weird. I have a feeling I won't be invited to family events, I'll miss out on your children's birthdays and holidays." Hermione sighed. "That's what I'm scared of."_

" _There is no way that is going to happen. We will never leave you, dating Ron or not." Ginny's voice was firm. "You're the sister I never got to have. You're my mother's second daughter. My family's eighth child." She smiled kindly. "We will always have you around."_

Hermione walked back to her desk, that now sat in an actual office, Umbridge's old office in fact. The walls had been bright pink with the desk a blush color, but Hermione had spent one whole workday repainting the walls a dove grey with red trim, and restaining the desk to be a dark oak color. The curtains were charmed to be red and grey, with squashy red armchairs as her visitor chairs. She wanted a loving and warm atmosphere that would help her guests stay relaxed. She had a large tea service in her office as well, so she no longer had to go to the tea witch to get her morning brew.

As she sat at her desk and started to work, her new assistant, Daniel, knocked on the door.

"Hermione? A gentleman is here to see you."

"Oh, okay, let him in." She sat up and smoothed her skirt, placing her quill back into her holder. She was expecting Ron, and she would spill the beans about the Prince Potions job, but to her great surprise, Severus Snape himself walked into the doorway.

"Hello, sir! What do I owe the pleasure?" Hermione stood up and offered him a seat. He looked at her with eyebrows raised before he transfigured the chair into a winged back, black armchair, like the one he had in his living room.

"I am here to file a patent for one of my potions. I suppose I was being kind and stopping by to see how the pay raise was going?"

Hermione waved her wand and the tea service whistled. One more wave and mugs were poured and milk and sugar added. It flew over to her and Severus respectively, waiting patiently to be drunk. Severus took a drink of the brew and nodded his thanks.

"Really well, actually. I now make 400 galleons a month here, which is more than I ever thought I would be making. It's been in the budget all this time, he was just waiting for me to be an adult and bring it up. I'm glad that I did." She sipped her own tea.

"I see. Well, it appears that I will be owing you some money." Severus made a note on his leather bound journal.

"What about you? What potion are you submitting?" Hermione took the patient that was handed to her over the desk.

Patient name: Cutis mollitis animis solution

Date submitted: August 10th 2002

Patient submitter(s): Severus Tobias Snape and Hermione Jean Granger

Potions purpose/ function: This potion's function is to provide the user with a skin balm intended for dry, cracked skin. Primarily for the use of smoothing callouses and dry and cracked heels. The balm is gentle on non-dry skin and works well filling the damaged skin with moisture.

Testing needed: Testing has been done and documentation is attached.

Location Testing was done: Cokesworth, England

Private use or Public Use: The potion is intended to be public, available for sale in apothecaries and for use in schools. Private venders such as St. Mungo's would be able to contact the above mentioned submitters for a private sale if public venders are unable to fill orders. Proof of contact must be provided from a public vender before private sales will be completed.

Hermione looked at her employer with wide eyes. "You added me as a submitter? Why?"

Severus smiled a little. "You worked on the project, did you not?"

"I did, but you're the owner of the business." Hermione handed him back the patient form.

"Miss Granger, I am not a tyrant. I will be giving you credit where credit is due. You worked hard and I think you should take the credit where it is given. Regardless, I will be entering your name whether you like it or not. You did the work, therefore you will take the credit. Or, I'll dock your pay."

Hermione smiled and leaned back in her chair, sipping her cooling tea. "And you said I was an insufferable know it all. Turns out it pays off."

"You've matured, I'll give you that. However, I think the insufferable part still stands." Severus shifted a little on his chair. "You still have the ability to annoy me and you do it a little too often for my liking.":

"And yet," Hermione put her tea down and picked up the documents she was going over before he had come into her office. "You offered me a full time position, you are including me in your patient and you have yet to kill me for being annoying." She picked up her quill and marked a few pages for the Minister to sign.

"Do you tire of this?" Severus asked her, waving his hand over her desk. "This paper pushing?"

"Not really. And I'm not just paper pushing. Umbridge used this job to gain power. I am using it to make a difference in the world. We have just officially placed Lupin's Law into effect, making it illegal to discriminate against those who are afflicted with illnesses that they are not at fault for, like lycanthropy. We have started the Wulfric Bill, but that's caused a few more headaches than help. We are also starting to draft a bill banning the mistreatment of house elves. No outlawing them, but owners of elves are no longer allowed to make their elves punish themselves. And we are also shutting down the elf auctions, at least the ones that are not ministry controlled."

"And pray tell, how will these auctions be ministry controlled?"

"The ministry will have a certain number of elves for sale that month and people will come here, where a ministry official, that has yet to be hired, they will oversee the auctions, will start the auction. There, you will be paying a small tax for the elves, signing off, saying you understand the bill and we will be able to make sure all the elves are in good health before they are sent to new homes. That's the major issue. Families are getting elves that aren't well, or their magic hasn't fully matured, and they are getting majorly sick and dying. IT doesn't help that they are being beaten or they are being told that they need to punish themselves for cold tea."

Snape, Hermione could see, looked impressed. "I was under the impression, Miss Granger, that you would be drafting a bill to release them from service. But this is a smart move."

Hermione nodded. "Thank you, sir. I learned from my youth that you cannot free them if they do not want to be free. We already limited those who can sell elves to the public. IT's been received fairly well, which is surprising. But we did make the point clear, we are not shutting down the elf trade, but we are regulating it. There are just too many independent venders to be safe."

"Do you have a long term goal for these bills?"

"Eventually, we would like to shut down the trade, but it's a while off. We need people to get used to these changes before we completely shut it down."

"It wouldn't do to have the masses rebel," Snape got up and gathered his papers. "Thank you for the tea, Miss Granger. I hope you have a good time tonight with your friends."

"Thank you very much sir. It's going to be weird not being at work." Hermione smirked as he swept from the room.

*S*S*

"There she is!" Harry yelled across the restaurant, getting her attention.

"Hey Harry!" She had changed from her harsh skirt suit ministry attire to the outfit she had worn to the interview with Severus Snape a month before.

She took the glass of wine that Ginny had poured for her, laughing when Harry kissed her on the cheek. "Watch yourself Potter, your fiancé wont be too happy."

"I trust him and I trust you. But you know how many curses that I know so I could technically kill you." Ginny pulled Hermione to her set and pushed down on her shoulders so she would sit.

"Where's Ron?"

"He and George will be coming soon. There was an issue at the shop that they're trying o fix." Harry sat down at the able as well and took a piece of bread.

"I hope it was nothing too awful," Hermione took bread for herself as well.

"It shouldn't be too bad. If it was, most likely, they wouldn't be coming." Harry pushed the bread basket closer to Ginny so she could get her own piece.

"There she is!" Ron's voice boomed through the air, his magenta robes still hanging off his body. "Sorry we're late. Some kid opened a portable swamp in the store. We had to clean it up before he stank up the whole store." He ,kissed Hermione hello.

George sat at the table after greeting his sister and future brother in law, "So Hermione, your trial is up. Are you continuing with your work with Snape or are you moving onto greener pastures?"

"Of course she's moving on! He works her like a dog an d she never gets to see us because she's so tired. I wouldn't be surprised if she cursed the man when she left."

Hermione fidgeted with her napkin, twisting it around and around her finger. "Not exactly, Ron. I didn't actually quit. He offered me to work for him permentatly and I accepted. He's going to raise my pay to match my pay at the Ministry."

"What?" Ron exclaimed, fire raging in his eyes. "You're going to keep working for him?"

"Ronald, tell me, what job in my field will pay me 400 galleons a month? I just got my mastery. No one trusts me yet. He does. In fact, he submitted my name on a potion that he created in order to help me build my resume for my mastery. He's doing more for me than anyone else ever has. Even my professors at University didn't do that!"

"He's a Slytherin!" Ron spat, "And he killed Dumbledore!"

"Ron, you're spouting things that were stated in court. Are you that biased that you cannot see that you're crazy. He was cleared of all charges, and I believe that he is a smart and honest man. He risked his life for us, for the world. He made it possible for us to be able to live the life we are living. As far as I can tell, he still has the scars from the snack bites and unlike us, he carries a physical reminder of his sacrifice."

"No physical sacrifice? Hermione, you have mudblood permentaly carved into your arm."

"I don't care about that. It's who I am, but to compare them to the scars that Severus Snape carried is not fair to me or to him. We are different people and while we fought for the same cause, we fought for different reasons. He and I work together yes, and it is something you will have to come to terms with."

"Like hell I can't compare you two. And no I dint have to get used to it." Ron stood up from his chair. "It's going to be our relationship or this job, Hermione. I'm sick of playing second fiddle to Prince Potions."

"No that's childish. You told me to apply for the job in the first place!" Hermione was so angry at him. He was the reason that she had the job in the first place, and now he was getting angry. She wondered if there ws an issue of her making more money than him. He liked when she first got the job at the ministry and she was at the bottom, working the same job as her assistants. Then she started to move up the ladder. He got more and more on edge about money, as she got closer and closer to his salary. Once she got the job in the minister's office, actually helping to write laws, he got testy about money, and refused to talk about it.. Now, she was the next in line to be nominated for minister.

"I didn't think it would take you away for so long!"

"I can request nights off now! That's the whole point of he sticking it out! I'm bringing in 800 galleons a month. That's going to pay for our wedding, the house you keep saying you want to build, and any children that we have!"

"You know, maybe I don't even want to have a wedding anymore," He said calmly, looking her in the eye before he left.

Hermione froze, but she didn't allow herself to get upset. She knew he would take it this way. And she also knew that if she had broken the news in private, Still, the people who could see into the private room they were seated in were still staring. Thankfully, a kind waiter flossed the folding doors around them so they would have some privacy.

"He's a prat, Hermione, but he'll come around." George reached out and touched her hand.

"I'm not upset about that, but that he chose to fight about it in public. I get that he doesn't like professor Snape, but he's done more for me than I ever expected." Hermione took a sip of her wine. "Snape got me a patient, he got me a job, he's teaching me how to negotiate for myself and for any business that I might have." She shook her head. "I'm trying to make this work, but in the past month, Ron has been nasty to me. He's never been like this before. Ever since I got the job."

Ginny reached out and touched her hand. "IF he needs to be a knob, then ignore him until he's less of a knob." She smiled. "No, this is to celebrate you. You have a job in your field with an actual contract!"

"Yes, and I got a pay raise today!"

"That's the spirt! Also, my father got in contact with me today. Apparently, he got a pay raise as well! From making 15 Galleons a month to 100 galleons a month, can you believe it?"

"Mom and Dad will actually have a savings!"

While Ginny and George got excited for their parents, Harry gave Hermione a knowing look.

 **Please review and favorite!**

 **Lots of Love**

 **Erectopatronum**


	5. Chapter 5: Cheater Cheater pumpkin eater

**Usually my chapters are only 13-15 pages long, but I was so excited to get this chapter out that I kept going to about 23 pages!**

The next morning, Hermione entered the Snape residence, patting Dover on the head as she hung her belongings on the hook by the door. She had started to write Ron a note that morning, to send to the shop for him to get when he got in that morning, but she thought better of it. He was never apologizing, and she seemed to be always going to him to make sure they were okay. Now, she was making him come to her, but it seemed that would never happen.

She went to the kitchen, where Severus Snape was seated, his morning tea sitting near his left elbow as he read the morning paper.

"Morning, Miss Granger. I assume last night was a success?"

"More or less…" She poured herself a mug of tea and sat across from him.

"That doesn't seem too promising." He folded the paper and laid it down, looking at her for the first time since she walked into the house.

"Ron and I had another fight." She sighed. "I'm so sick of the fights, and he can't seem to let anything go."

Severus wasn't sure, but he felt like he needed to be there for his assistant. He remembered how hard it had been when he and Lily had their blowout fifth year, and there was no one there for him. He spent the next two years more or less completely alone, and it was hell. There was no teachers he could talk to and his 'friends' who were death eaters were too excited that he and the 'Mudblood' were no longer talking. He knew it was a different situation, and that the muggleborn girl before him was different than him but he felt that he needed to at least extend his hand to her, to help her through this and to give her some advice.

"What was it about this time?" He had a feeling it was about him, and the job that he gave her, and as much as he didn't care about the redheaded boy, he was growing to care about her assistant. She was becoming at the very least an acquaintance to him, and he, deep down, hoped she felt the same way.

"Well, for starters, he thought that I had quit working for you, and when he found out he exploded. I think he thought I would be voluntarily giving up the best opportunity that's ever come my way. I'm working with a master in the same field as me, one with over 20 years of experience, which is amazing. Because of you, I have a patient submitted with my name on it, which I never would have thought would happen until I was at least 5 years in. He's biased, and it shows. He stormed out of the restaurant after causing a scene."

"I'm very sorry you had to go through that, Miss Granger."

Hermione smiled at him. "Please, call me Hermione for the thousandth time. We work together permanently now, it's only fitting. All my colleges call me by my first name, even the minister."

"Very well, Miss- Hermione. Then you must stop with the Sir business. Severus will do just fine, in this case. But, only in this house, if you please. I fear unjust attention will be pinned to you if people think that you and I are more than colleges.

Hermione knew she was a private man, but she didn't realize that he was so private he didn't want people to know he was on a first name basis with his co worker.

"Of course Severus." She smiled. Waving her wand, she enlarged a basket, full of breakfast items and the meals she always brought. The muffins and scones flew out of the basket, landing on the little stand she had brought for them on the counter, a ever-fresh charm on them so they would remain good for the week.

"You know, I am a grown man who can cook for himself." He got up and took a blueberry muffin from the stand and went back to the table, giving his tea a stir before finishing the brew. Hermione got the tea pot and poured him another cup, fixing it the way he liked before making her own cup.

"And I can make my own tea." He smirked, non the less. No one had done nice things for him since Lily had died, and it was hard living a life where no one cared about you or your wellbeing. Sure, there were some professors in Hogwarts and in University while he got his mastery, but they only ever called him into office hours, not really helping him with his issues of abandonment and loneliness. He knew that the girl in front of him would never see him as more than just a mentor, but he still could pretend that they were friends. It was selfish, he knew but he needed to be able to have some kind of friendship in his life. The idea that he didn't want his name released from her lips outside of the house was more to save her, especially if her and the Weasley boy were fighting like cats and dogs.

He watched as she danced around the kitchen, placing dated labels on the containers and putting them in his freezer, taking the empty containers and sending them back to her kitchen. His own mother hadn't cooked for him since he was a small boy, often preferring to use their limited food for his glutton of a father. The man ate them out of house and home, and drank all their money away. Severus learned how to either steal food out of trash cans, beg, or to find food from the woods near his home. His meals often were wild mushrooms and watercress, with old chips pulled from the local shop dumpsters. When he was 11, during the summers, the local fish and chips shop owner took pity on him and gave him a job, and he went home full of fried haddock and potato. The money he made was controlled by the owner, after Severus had pleaded with him not to give him a paycheck.

The man had taken Severus to a bank, opened an account with the boy and his paychecks were being pit there. Severus was the only person who could take money from the account and eventually he had moved up from simply wrapping up orders to running part of the office. He had made enough to buy a used car, and he had the shop owner held him pick out a car, which he kept at the man's house, knowing his father would pawn it for booze if he knew Severus had his own car. That car had come in handy when he moved out of Cokesworth to London to get his mastery. He still went to the shop from time to time, often jumping behind the line when it got too busy for the new hires to handle. He would wrap orders while they took them, and the owner would laugh, clapping the younger man on the shoulder, before trying to press money into his pockets for his work.

"Hermione, do you want to go out for lunch today?" Severus spoke without thinking, and regretted it when she turned around, shocked.

"I mean… We've never… I would love to." Hermione took her tea and came to sit opposite him at the table.

"I can understand if you would prefer not to go with me, Hermione." Severus picked at what was left of his muffin.

"I would love to go. I just wasn't expecting you to suggest that we not make something here. Did you have a place in mind?"

"I did actually. There's a shop, walking distance from here, called Don's fish market. I used to work there when I was a boy. I haven't been in a very long time and I would like to see the owner."

"Of course I would love to go. Are you and the owner still close?"

"Somewhat. He sends me a Christmas card every year and I send him pills that help his arthritis. He helped me a lot in my childhood. He gave me food at night and helped me buy my first car."

"You can drive?"

"Oh yes. I have a Vauxhall Corsa in my garage right now, in fact. Don, the man who runs the shop, taught me how to drive, he helped me build a savings account, helped me learn how to run a business. The business part came after I left Hogwarts, mind you."

"There is so much about you that no one will ever know." Hermione waved her wand and a scone came off the stand and into her hand.

"I am a very private man, I always have been." He sat up in his seat and sighed. "But we must finish here and make our way to the lab to fill the rest of the orders and perhaps do some experimentation before we can go anywhere."

He waved his wand to clean up the kitchen and the pair went into the basement to work on the orders that had backed up over the past week. Hermione followed him down to the lab, still nibbling on her scone. Severus sat at his desk, doling out the orders to their respective folders. Hermione took the folder that was marked as important, moving to the table she usually worked at. St. Mungo's had ordered 5 cratefuls of fever reducer and 4 crates of stomach soother. They tried to get the hospital order done first before everything else, in order to keep them as a client.

They were hoping that they would get their patient approved in the next week or so, in order for them to start the sale of their new skin soothing balm. St. Mungo's was begging them for a balm for the past month, but Severus was dead set on the idea that public venders like the shops in the apothecaries in places like Diagon Alley, so that businesses like his would have the chance to flourish and make money.

Hermione knew from listening to Severus rant about private venders, bumping up prices on products and ingredients that he needed. He needed to buy things like Jabberknoll parts and unicorn livers. They were rare ingredients, sure, but private venders were doubling and tripling prices every other week.

She flipped open the folder on the table, puling out the order slip so she didn't make too much of the potion. Severus had a policy that there was not to be any extra potion laying around that was to be made for his clients. Severus made his own potions for the house, so Hermione had to be careful to not make too much.

Lighting a fire under her cauldron, she dumped in the first ingredients into the heating cauldron, not noticing Severus watching her over the edge of his book.

*S*S*

Hermione waited for Severus to change out of his cloak, keeping his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows. She was excited to see where he had gotten his start as an independent person. He reached into his side table for his wallet, tucking it into his back pocket, slipping his feet into his comfortable dress shoes.

"Are you ready to go?" He moved to the front door and unlocked the door, before he threaded his wand into the holder on his left arm.

"Yes, I am." She took her bag off the hook and slung it across her body, checking to make sure that she had her wallet.

He held open the front door for her, locking the door behind them with a wave of his hand. "Come, and stick close to me until we get off Spinner's End."

"Is everything alright?"

"Not on this street. There is a gang of boys that try to mug young women who walk around unaccompanied. They have very little to do here, other than ride their bikes and try to run over cats and things like that. They used to try to attack my mother on occasion."

"Oh, I'm so sorry. Is she alright now?"

"Yes, for the most part. She lives in Liverpool now, after my father died, I moved her there to be with a support group for domestic abuse survivors." Severus turned down the street at the corner of his, looking both ways before he lead her across to the next street down.

"How far away is this?" Hermione looked around and noticed that the area was completely different than Spinner's End.

"Not too much farther, actually. One more street down." Severus moved across the road one more time, walking past a stretch of river that was far less dirty than the river that ran behind his home. On the right of the river, there was a smallish restaurant with a medium sized sign, emblazon with the name Don's Fish Market.

"Here we are," Severus held the door open for her once again, and as soon as they were seen by the staff inside, there was an uproar from a larger man inside.

"Ahhhh Severus!" He surged forward, launching himself at the younger man, pulling the man into his arms. "Why have you not been around?"

"I've been working on my business, Don, you know that." Severus stepped back from the older man, smoothing his white shirt.

"I know you are. We are very proud of you, my boy." Don clapped Snape on the shoulder and led him to a booth, leaving Hermione to follow. When she reached the table, Don turned and laughed.

"Oh ho, Severus, you brought a young woman today? She's lovely, I'm sure!"

"Oh, sir, I'm not…"

"Don's she's not my girlfriend. She's my business partner."

Hermione smirked. She knew that he was just saying that in order to make it easier to explain why she was there, but somewhere deep down in her was hoping that he would one day offer that for real.

"Either way, lovely all the same. Would you like the usual, Severus?"

"Yes, please." He and Hermione sat down. "Hermione, here should see a menu."

"That's alright. I'll have what Severus is having. If he's eating it, it must be good."

Don nodded. "And two pints?" He wrote shorthand on a small pad of paper.

"Why not?" Severus shrugged, which was very unlike him, but he did nonetheless.

As Don was starting to walk away, a girl's voice chimed from the front of the store. "Mr. Lewis? I can't get this receipt to print!"

Don sighed and turned to the voice, his head shaking. "Emma, I'll be right there."

Severus stood up. "Don, take care of something else, I'll help her." He walked behind the counter and began to explain to the girl how to refill the printing reel, and Hermione watched him. She was amazed by his patience with this young girl, no older than 15, who just seemed to not be able to get the hang of the cash register. She had never seen him so caring, and she had to wonder if he was like this all the time.

He then took the time to show her a faster way to wrap to go orders, shocking Hermione even further. When he finally got back to their table, her jaw was nearly on the floor.

"Close your mouth, Miss Granger or you'll catch flies." He slid back into the booth he had been sitting on, taking a sip of the beer that had just been brought to the table.

"I've never seen you so, so nice before."

"Believe it or not, I do have a kind side. She needed help. She actually just started two days ago." Severus took another sip. "I've been in her shoes before."

"What do you mean?" she toyed with her pint, trying not to pry too deep.

"Miss Granger-"

"Hermione." She corrected.

"Hermione look around you. This neighborhood is not exactly the most forgiving. It hasn't been forgiving in the last 30 years. As soon as the mill shut down, there was very little work, and the jobs that became available were hard to keep and hard to get. My father worked for a shipyard after his job making cars was replaced with machines. Then the factory itself was stopped. But, regardless, when I worked here, I was terrified that I would be fired for one mistake. I needed this job at the time, and moving up the ladder, like I did, was nearly unheard of."

Hermione nodded. "I can understand," She mumbled.

"How? Last I checked, your parents were wealthy dentists."

Hermione smiled. "Not many people know about this actually. When I was very young, like 3 to 4 years old, my parents were still getting their doctorates. I was not planned, mind you, and I don't think my parents truly wanted kids. But nevertheless, I was born, and my parents were still living on a student budget, going to school and trying to raise me. Often, I would be left alone while they worked and went to class, or my grandmother would take me. We lived in a one bedroom apartment, on the dole and most of our money went to my parents education." She laughed. "When I was old enough to go to the library by myself, I practically lived there, and the librarians took me to programs and they fed me.

"When I was 6 or 7, we had enough money to move, and that's when we moved to the house my parents live in now. But I was not raised with a lot of money. Even when my parents had money, we lived very cheaply, my mother often bought day old bread and canned soups. She's the one who taught me to freeze all the left overs so they don't spoil."

Severus looked at her over the lip of his mug, his eyebrows up. "I had no idea. Why did you not say anything to any of the staff at Hogwarts? Do your friends know?"

"No, they don't. I don't feel like they need to know. It's not a point of pity. My parents did what they had to do, and I came out alright. I'm smart, because I have to be. I am making a life for myself, because I don't want any children that I might have to live how I once had to. That's why I got my degree before marriage. My parents didn't have the choice. My grandparents made them get married and my mother wasn't able to have an abortion. She had too much guilt over it. My Bubbee lived through the Holocaust and he wanted to see grandchildren in his lifetime and she wanted to make sure that happened."

"I'm sorry, did you say Bubbee?"

"Yes, I'm Jewish. Didn't you know?"

"No I didn't." They moved their arms off the table as Don came over with their food. They both nodded their thanks before turning back to the conversation at hand.

"Yes, my family on both sides are Jewish. I'm Polish on my mother's side and German and on my father's. My parents were born in England and so was I but my Grandparents on both sides were not."

"That's fascinating, are they still alive?"

"My grandparents? Yes, they are." Hermione laughed. "Reminding me everyday that they aren't getting younger and that they want great-grandchildren to spoil. I'm seeing them for the high holidays in September. If you don't mind, I will need that weekend off."

"You don't have to ask me for holidays off. Just write them on the calendar and I'll make sure to look."

"Thank you," Hermione looked out the window. "When I was small, I asked my Bubbee why we were Jewish. I asked him why he fought so hard for me to go to Hebrew school, and why they paid for my classes. When I was old enough to understand what money was, I told him I didn't want to be Jewish anymore, if that saved him from paying for my education. I went to an all Jewish school, mind you." She absently rubbed her left cheek. "It was the only time he's ever laid a hand on me. I understand now, why it's so important for him, for _us_ , but at 5 years old, I didn't know what horrors my family had faced."

She turned to face him once more. "I'm sorry I'm laying all this on you."

"Don't be sorry." He dipped his fried fish in the sauce provided. "Am I the first you've told of all this?"

"Yes, actually. I have always felt like my religion is something I should hide. My parents always made sure I had a working passport, in case we had to leave. My grandfather always told me to be fearful of those who were not Jewish. I found it was easier when I was not in Jewish spaces to pretend that I was not Jewish. I never told them that I felt that way."

"I could understand why you don't want them to know, if they had fought for some much."

"I love it now, but then I didn't. And I don't really celebrate the holidays like I used to. Now, I celebrate Rosh Hashana with them, but I don't do much else. Being at Hogwarts made that hard."

"There is more to you than I think anyone ever guessed, isn't there?" Severus smiled a little, taking another bite of his food.

*S*S*

Britney sat on the plastic chair of St. Mungo's, waiting for her name to be called for her appointment to see her OBGYN. She hadn't seen a proper doctor since she came back from her internship, relaying on the potions that Severus had sent her to keep her healthy until she could get checked up on. She hated the wait, but she needed more birth control and while she was content taking potions illegally from the owner of prince potions, she knew she needed to see a professional.

She had already been to her doctor, and she had found that her iron was low, which made sense. Severus was her pharmacist, and he was already sent to script for what she needed. Her dental visit had been normal and her neurologic healer had told her that her migraines were under control. Now she just needed a check up from her healer here and she would be done.

She hated the OBGYN. There were always pregnant women in the office, and while she didn't care that they were pregnant, she did care that they looked at her like she was a bit of a failure. She wasn't pregnant and she didn't have a child with her, and they assumed, and they were correct that she didn't have any children. But, it still bothered her when she got looks from these mothers.

She shifted. The seats were unforgiving and cold. Britney was convinced that they were uncomfortable so you were more eager to go see your doctor. She picked up an out of date witch weekly, flipping through the recipes and hot or not lists with distaste. The magazine was trash, but she still read it, for merlin knows what reason. Hell, she even paid for it to be delivered to her house, but she hadn't read them since she got back from Iceland.

Her ears perked when the door to the office opened and a blonde woman walked into the room, holding her purse close to her stomach. Britney zoned out when she checked in but was steadily getting annoyed with the woman as she rubbed her belly and giggled to herself. She shook her head and tried to ignore the woman, who was getting louder, as If she tried to get more and more attention on her. When Britney looked at her, she noticed the woman didn't look pregnant, but she was seemingly convinced to be pregnant. She shuffled in her seat, pulling the magazine back up in front of her face, trying to block out the annoying woman. Once again, the door opened, and Britney was unable to not look, but her magazine shot right up when the person she least expected to come in, walked in and sat next to the annoying woman.

*S*S*

Hermione laid her money down on the table, ready to pay for her half of lunch, only for Severus to ball up her money and toss it back at her.

"Excuse me," Hermione unwrinkled the bill and straightened it out, trying to lay it back onto the bill.

"Your money is no good here," Don walked over and snatched the bill off the table, stuffing his own money into the bill and bringing it to the waitress to put in the till. "Severus, you know I don't let you pay here."

"But you cannot blame me for trying?" Severus put his own money back in his wallet, and tucked it into his back pocket again.

"No, I can't, but I also need you to not." He laughed, tucking the bill folder into his apron pocket. Hermione put her own money back into her wallet and stuffed it into her purse, zipping it shut.

"Come back as soon as you like," Don walked back into his office. Severus waited a few minutes before walking up to the young girl he had helped earlier, stuffing money from his wallet into her hand.

"A tip," He let the corner of his mouth rise up a little before he let go of her hand and left, placing one hand on Hermione's shoulder to lead her out. Once they were out of the store, he let go of her, but her shoulder still burned from where he had been touching her. For some reason, she found herself thinking about his hands. They were calloused, with tough palms from years of working hands on. His fingers were long and slim, with the nails on each finger trimmed neatly. His skin was pale, but there was light staining on the sides of his fingers. She looked at her own, wondering if one day they were to become his. She figured that wasn't so bad.

The pair made quick work of going back to Spinner's End, with Hermione coming closer to Snape when the children came flying by on their bikes, and Severus found that he wasn't bothered by it too much. He knew they would never be more than co-workers, but he could pretend they were friends, and that wasn't overstepping boundaries.

Opening the front door, Severus waited until Hermione stepped into the foyer and hung her bag up, before shutting and locking the door. He moved across the room, sitting heavily in his armchair, tossing his wallet into the table drawer next to him.

"I'm going to head on downstairs and finish the stomach soother we have on right now." She quietly opened the door, slipping down the stairs and softly shutting the door behind her. Severus could hear her footsteps moving down the stairs before they faded away. He was always wiped after going to see Don, as it brought back the memories of being poor and abused. Don was always there for him in ways that no adult had ever been before, and he always felt he had something to owe Don, even thought the older man had never asked that of him. Severus tried to go to see the man once a week, for that was the most amount of time he could spend with him at once. When he went alone, Don would sit with him and have a pint, or have a meal, but with Hermione there, he had a much easier time, with the owner leaving him alone for the most part.

*S*S*

Britney watched as the woman and man were called in before her, her face bright red, not from embarrassment but in anger. How dare he do this? She was ready to storm into the room they just were in and kick him from one end of the room to the other, She had no clue how she was going to tell the proper parties, or if she should keep it to herself, But there was, in fact, no way to actually keep it to herself.

Britney was conflicted, and she had so much distraction now, she didn't even care that her bottom was falling asleep on the hard plastic chair or that the words in the magazine she held were 4 months old. She just cared about the effects of Ronald Weasley cheating.

And she had no idea how to tell Hermione.

*S*S*

Hermione sat on the couch, drinking a steaming cu of jasmine tea, with Severus to her right, his leather notebook on his lap as he scribbled down the notes from the day. They had completed another experiment and were moving swiftly toward the experimentation phase, which excited Hermione to the fullest extent. Severus had already told her that he had planned on writing her in again as a creator, making her a creator of 2 potions, which was almost unheard of in the potions world.

The night before, Severus had gotten notice that their potion had been approved, and they were going to start work on the distribution of the product to apothecaries all over the Wizarding World. Hermione was now going to be getting more money shoveled into her bank account, which made her so happy. She was going to be able to have her dream home far sooner than she ever thought she would be able to do. She took a sip of her tea, her left hand lazily petting Dover, who was very excited that they were actually sitting in the living room.

Severus had been a little distant all day, but she wasn't too worried. He was a very closed off man, and she just assumed that he was having some time to himself. After all, they had a strange heart to heart that day, which Hermione had never thought that they would have. If Hermione was honest with herself, that was the closest the two had ever come to friendship. She had realized at lunch that she wanted nothing more than to be his friend, and she was willing to do nearly anything to make sure he knew she supported him. After all, she had saved him from life in Azkaban. Although, he didn't seem to be too thrilled with them about that.

A rapping on the window broke through her thoughts. Severus waved his wand without looking, allowing the owl at the window to fly in and drop a mail card on her lap.

"What the.." Hermione flipped the card over, seeing that it was from a witch weekly magazine.

"Who is it from?" Severus barely looked at her, still scribbling in his notebook.

"My friend, Britney. She wants to get dinner. But she sent me this on a Witch Weekly send away card. You know, the ones you use when you want to subscribe to the magazine. That's odd."

"Are you going to respond?"

"I guess so," Hermione opened the table beside her and dug around for a quill. Severus extended his to her, allowing her to scribble her conformation, sending the owl back to wherever it came from.

"Why would she send me a letter on a send away card?" she was confused but she guessed that she would be able to ask her about it during their dinner together. She handed the quill back to her employer.

"Well, back to the issue at hand. What do you think went wrong today?"

"I think that we added the Jabberknoll parts too soon, and they reacted poorly with the leeches that were already stewing." She bit her lip. "And I think the temperature was too high."

"Exactly what I was thinking."

She watched him make a note in his book before closing it and tucking it into his desk.

"Tomorrow," he started, "I want to restart this. I want to make sure that we get this done in the next month or so. It doesn't do to fall to obscurity in this field." He sat on the couch next to her, leaving 2 cushions between them.

"What do you mean?"

"This field is based off of progress. There is always something that can be improved, always something that can be invented. Spells, potions, equipment. Everything is updateable. Our job is to find those things and bring attention to them. This is why I create my own spells, my own potions. All the potions that stock to hospital wing at Hogwarts? I tweaked every one that's there. I made them stronger and more gentle on the stomach. I made a Dreamless sleep that is not addictive. I made a skelgrow that doesn't task like dung, but I have yet to market that. You can only get it in Hogwarts. I have made healing spell after healing spell, charms and curses. This is why I was so important to the Dark Lord. I had the ability to do what he could not. The only thing I failed at was keeping him from coming back in the first place."

"So," she scratched the cat behind the ears. "What does that mean for me?"

*S*S*

Britney kept her head down when the woman and Ron walked out of the room, their eyes puffy and red. She tuned into their conversation, trying to understand why she was here.

"I don't understand! Everything pointed to me being pregnant!" she wiped her eyes with a tissue that Ron handed to her.

"I know, but we can try again. The healer did say you were fertile."

Britney saw red, her anger reaching the boiling point. She lowered her magazine as Ron passed her, letting him see her whole face. He knew her, and she knew he would be rattled knowing that someone close to his girlfriend knew of his cheating.

When he noticed her looking at him, his already pale face got paler and he quickly ushered the woman out of the office.

*S*S*

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," Hermione looked at him. "I am so by the book. And the only reason that I have been even minorly successful is because I have you basically holding my hand and leading me to the answers. I have no creativity of my own. I'm going to fall to obscurity like Slughorn did."

"What are you going on about?" Severus gave her a look. "You have creativity. You basically created the last potion by yourself. I helped you over the speedbumps, yes, but you took the reigns. Didn't you notice that I was following your instructions? You need to learn, and by me telling you what to do, you won't. I had to learn on my own. Slughorn refused to teach me to experiment. I ended up blowing up the kitchen several times before I turned 19."

"You did?" Hermione could not imagine Severus Snape being a failure, or even having a failure.

"Of course. My mother was not happy. I think the wooden spoon in the kitchen still has a dent in it from where she hit my head."

Hermione giggled. She had never seen Severus so open in one day. Even when she was trying to build him a good case in court, he refused to be helpful, but now, he was reassuring her of her worst fear? What had happened to Severus Snape?

*S*S*

Hermione walked into the restaurant, looking for her friend, her hands smoothing down her skirt as she walked. Britney had been busy lately and it was nice to see her friend, and with the two of them working, it was getting harder and harder to find time to see each other. Once she found her, the bushy haired girl, made a beeline for the fellow potioneer, ready to catch up.

"Hey Brit!" Hermione sat down and the former flagged down a waiter so they could order drinks.

"Hey 'Mione." Britney reached out and took her friend's hand. "You know I love you, right?"

"Of course, what's going on?"

"You know that I would never lie to you, right?" Britney was trying to buy time for their drinks to come, knowing her friend would be reaching for a glass of chilled white wine as soon as she got the news.

"Of course. You're starting to worry me, what's going on?" Hermione sipped the wine that had just been brought to the table.

"Okay, you cannot get upset, we are in public. Alright? So today, I saw- Oh bloody hell!"

"What?" Hermione turned to see her boyfriend walking into the restaurant, hand in hand with Lavender Brown. "What the fuck?"

"Okay Hermione, I had no idea they were going to come here tonight. Ron, as you can see, is cheating on you." She let the words fall out in a rush and right on schedule, Hermione gulped her wine.

"How did you find out?" Hermione's voice was shaky, like she was trying not to cry.

"I was at the OBGYN and they came in. They thought the woman he's with now was pregnant. She's not, but he told her they can try again. He said something to the tune of 'the healer said you were fertile'" She made air quotes for the last bit.

"Her name is Lavender Brown. They dated when we were in our 6th year at Hogwarts." She ran her hands through her hair. "I just can't believe he did this!" She wiped her eyes with her napkin, taking another sip once she put the clothe down.

"I know babe." She waved down the waiter again for more wine and an Italian sampler meal for two. She knew that Hermione loved Italian food, and she always complained that she and Ron only went where he wanted to go, so Britney was surprised that Ron took this Lavender girl to an Italian restaurant.

"I'm not hungry anymore." Hermione drained her first glass and poured a second.

"I know, but with how you're pulling wine, and with how I think you'll be drinking tonight, you need to eat something." Britney looked across the restaurant, seeing that Ron and Lavender had been placed right in their line of sight. "Merlin's sweaty balls…"

Hermione followed her line of sight and laid her forehead in her hand. "This is so bad. Why did they have to come here? Why couldn't he, you know, not cheat?"

"Babe, if I had all the answers, I would help." Britney pushed some water into her hand.

"You know, Severus told me that if he makes me feel like garbage, he's not worth it. I guess he was right." She snorted a bitter laugh into her glass. She drank about half the water and then set it down. "How should I break up with him? I obviously can't stay with him."

"No, you can't. He and Lavender deserve each other. There is no way she didn't know you two were still together though. It's just not possible."

"Either way, what's done is done." Hermione was so confused. "You know, he's been upset ever since I got the job with Severus. I bet that's when the cheating started."

"I don't know, Hermione. She was convinced she was pregnant. Either they got really lucky or he's been seeing her for longer."

Britney looked over and saw Ron reach out to take Lavender's hands, rubbing his thumbs over her knuckles. He then picked her hands up and kissed them repeatedly, looking at her like she was the most perfect woman in the world.

Hermione was also watching, with tears brimming in her eyes. "I never thought I would be the type to cry over a boy." She scoffed. "Fucking knob." She muttered.

Britney had seen enough. She pulled out a muggle pen and a small piece of paper, scribbling down a message. When the waiter came over with their food and two plates, she handed it over to him, asking for it to be delivered to the redhead and his mistress.

*S*S*

Ron hadn't been happier. Not in the last near seven months. Ever since Hermione had been pressuring him to start saving for a house, he had been feeling trapped. But he liked being with her, but he didn't want anything super serious. When he bumped into Lavender on the street in Diagon alley, they hit it off. Neither wanted a serious relationship, and if Hermione never found out, it would be perfect? She didn't even seem to like having sex with him either. Lavender liked having sex with him and hell, she wanted to have sex with him all the time. He wasn't surprised when she told him the first time she thought she was pregnant.

Then there was a false alarm, and then another and then today, that was the third. He should have been more careful, but after the second alarm, he realized he might actually want to have a baby. Hermione would never say yes. But Lavender, she was different.

The two looked up when a waiter passed by, handing Ron a note, and then leaving. Ron was confused, but opened it anyways.

 _Ron,_

 _I hope you're fucking happy with yourself. I hope she's everything you want and more, because she is nothing compared to Hermione. You messed up. And you'll never get her back. You deserve each other._

 _Fuck you, you cheating scum,_

 _Britney_

 _PS. Tell Lavender she ruined a nearly 4 year relationship, just in case she didn't know. Maybe then she'll get a conscience._

Ron went to crumple the note, but Lavender snatched it and started to read, her eyebrows going further and further into each other.

"Who the hell is this Britney girl? And no shit, I know about Hermione. But, she is nothing compared to me. Either way, I'm actually trying to give you what you want, which is a family. She cares more about herself now than you. I mean, you said it yourself, she works more than she sees you. She should be grateful that I'm taking over her responsibilities as your girlfriend, well at least the physical parts."

"Apparently Britney doesn't see it that way…"

"Well, who is she anyways?"

"She's Hermione's best friend from University. She saw us at the OBGYN today."

"So, she's going to tell Hermione?"

"I doubt it. She probably sent me this note to rattle me, like to make me come clean."

*S*S*

Hermione tried to put her money on the table, at least for the wine she had drank, but Britney picked it up and stuffed it in her purse.

"No, you're not allowed. This is my treat."

"You know what I wanna do right now?"

"What?" the two walked out into the night air, walking down Diagon Alley arm in arm. Hermione wasn't drunk, but she was a little warm, and she made quick steps toward the bank.

"I want to close out that account I have with Ron. I've been shoveling all my money into that account. He can technically forge my signature and take out my money.

Britney followed Hermione up the stairs, slipping through the doors a few minutes before close. The pair approached the desk, Hermione waving her wand as they went, the paperwork for the account in her hand.

"Hello, I would like to close my account." She handed the goblin at the desk the papers, who read them over.

"Do you have your key?"

"Of course!" She handed over the key as well.

"Do you have a second account with us to transfer the money into?" The goblin looked down his hooked nose at her.

"I do," With a flick of her wrist, the papers for her personal account in her hand.

The goblin walked away with the papers, going to the grated off area that was prohibited to the public. The two waited together, shifting their weight from foot to foot.

After 30 minutes, the goblin came over with her papers, handing over the paperwork and her receipt with the amount of money in her account printed on the bottom.

As they walked out, Hermione looked over her receipt. "I never realized that I had nearly 2,500 galleons in my account. I'm glad I took all that out before he could get to it."

"Let's get you home, yeah?" Britney took hold of her elbow, apparating her into her living room. "Give me a ring tomorrow after you get out of work, or come and see me in my cubicle if you have time."

"I will." She hugged her friend goodbye, before going into the kitchen to feed Crookshanks.

"Oh Crooks, what am I going to do?" She pet the feline as he ate before she made up her mind. Getting to the fireplace, she tossed floo powder in and shouted her destination.

She stepped out in the living room of one of the most familiar places to her now and stared Severus Snape in the face, as two tears slipped down her cheeks.

"Ron cheated on me."

 **An update so soon? Don't be too mad at me, I had to get rid of Ron somehow!**

 **So, Hermione's narrative is similar to mine. I'm a jewish woman, and although I never went to Hebrew school, the rest of her story is very similar to mine. I always identified with Hermione as being Jewish, because of her hair and some other things. Her religion isn't going to take over the story, but it was a little detail I wanted to add.**

 **Thank you for all your support!**

 **Lots of love,**

 **Erectopatronum**


	6. Chapter 6: Conferences and confrontation

"Ron cheated on me."

Severus stood up from the armchair, leaving his tea behind. As he approached her, she broke down, and her knees began to buckle. Severus reached her just in time, wrapping his arms around her waist and helping her lower to the ground. He sat with her, letting her bury her face in his shoulder, soaking the fabric of his shirt in the process. He had done this for Lily once, in their fourth year, Joey Carlson had broken it off with her after four months. She had been devastated and he sat with her for hours, under the willow tree by the lake, giving her the support, she needed.

He had never seen her cry like this though, even after the war, even at the funerals, there was no real loss of control. But over a boy?

Hermione eventually came around and allowed him to lead her from the floor to the couch. She slid down the cushions to lay down, her face pressed into the seat. He had no idea what to do with her, her face a mess of snot and makeup bleeding down her cheeks. He tutted and went to the bathroom, getting a wet flannel and dabbing the eyeliner and nose run off away, leaving behind clean abet red skin.

"There, that's better. Now, sit up and we're going to talk about this calmly." He tossed the flannel into the laundry,

She slowly pulled herself up, and with shaking hands, she pulled her tear soaked curls up into a haphazard bun. "I'm sorry I came here, sir. I didn't want to make you take care of me, not like this."

"Miss GRa- Hermione, it is no matter to me. In fact, I would rather you came here, than laying on your own living room floor, wallowing. Now, what happened?"

"Ro-o-o-on and Lavender Brown have be-en seeing each other be-hi-nd my back!" she sobbed, trying to catch her breath.

"Shhhh, it's alright." He nearly reached out and took her hand, like he did with Lily years before.

"No, it's not! I'm not upset with the ch-eat-ing, I'm upset that I have been wasting my ti-me…" She took a shuddering breath and wiped her face with her fingers.

"Well that is a healthier view than most girls have." He got up. "Do you want anything? Tea, wine, something stronger?"

"Tea, if you don't mind. I already had more wine than I usually drink." She sniffed, and was startled when Severus handed her a handkerchief.

"Clean yourself up and join me in the kitchen." Severus didn't wait for her to get up before he moved to the kitchen to put the kettle on.

Hermione went into the bathroom, blowing her nose and wiping her face. She had never lost control like this, and she needed to get her control back. She knew why she came her e, but she couldn't believe she had actually done it.

She closed the door of the bathroom behind her, and walked slowly into the kitchen, willing herself not to cry on the way there. She hated crying. IT made her eyes hurt and her nose burn , and she always got a runny nose. She hadn't cried like this since she had to obliviate her parents, and she hated crying over a boy.

Severus had just taken the kettle off and poured the hot water into mugs with tea bags already in place. He had chocolate biscuits on a plate and some other snacks. Hermione had to laugh a little. He was trying to comfort her, but he wasn't quite sure how.

"I didn't know what you liked, so I just pulled everything." He gestured to the seat across from him, encouraging her to help herself. She took a sip of her tea, tasting the chamomile and the calming draught he had put in. She wasn't surprised, and if he hadn't put any in, she would have asked for one.

"Now, tell me everything."

So Hermione told him of the doctor visit and the dinner date, the note and all the ideas of when the cheating had started, and the closing of the house fund.

"You don't think I acted too harse, right? I mean, I could have talked to him first, or…"

Severus cut her off with his hand. "No, you're starting to sound like my mother. Do not take the blame for this. Do not go back to him and for the love of all that is holy, do not give him power over you. You had your cry. It's over, and now you need to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and be better."

"What do you mean, be better?"

"You told me he's dating Lavender Brown now? Okay, that's fine. You don't need to be in a relationship to be happy. Now, he's working with his brother, not really making a life of his own?" Severus took a drink. "You are the senior undersecretary to the minister of magic, the very job Percy Weasley was seeking at the same time you were given the promotion. Historically, when the minister steps down, the undersecretary is endorsed by the ministry to become the next minister. You could very well be the next minister. And, you have a mastery."

"Two, actually." Hermione smiled weakly.

"Yes, I nearly forgot you have two masteries!" He smiled a little. "Hermione, you have so much more to offer, and pardon me if I say it, Ronald Weasley is not the person for you. You need to break it off and move on."

"This is why I came here. You tell me what I need to hear, not what I want to hear." She drained her mug and replaced the teabag, pouring another cup. With a smirk, she snagged two chocolate biscuits, stuffing one whole into her mouth. She covered her mouth with one hand, to keep the crumbs from spilling out onto the table top. Severus smirked and stirred a spoonful of honey into his tea, something he did at night when he was trying to relax.

He was glad Hermione came to his home instead of wallowing in her home, crying for hours. He knew from experience that he helped no one, and he would lay in bed on the weekends while he was teaching, staring at the ceiling, eating nothing, doing nothing, hoping that he would not be summoned by the Dark Lord that day.

There were days that he was given a bit of a break, but there were some days where he would get to his quarters to only be called again, to go out and to have to join in a revile or to promise to make a complicated potion. She was as emotionally drained as he was then, and he would hate to see her go through it alone, though he could not place why.

Hermione herself, knew why she had come to see her old professor turned employer, rather than her friends, or at least she thought she knew. He would be blunt, almost to the point of rude, but he wouldn't try to sugar coat it. He would tell her what she needed to know, making sure she understood. Her friends, Britney, Ginny and even Harry would tell her how sorry they are, and how they were here to support her. She needed to here that she would be okay without Ron, and that she was a good person.

Ron had taken from her something she had held so dear, and it was her ability to be emotionally independent. She could see that she had been the first to apologize, she was the one to plan, the one to pick, the one to care. He had not real interest being with her other than it being comfortable. With Lavender, he was able to get everything from her that Hermione was not willing to compromise. Lavender was willing to put her life on hold to have children and play wife, but Hermione knew she had so much more to give the world before she could be a mother.

She wished that Ron had just told her his feelings. She would have taken it better if he had told her that he was feeling something for another woman or that he wanted to break up. He thought it could have both. But Hermione was not going to sit around and be played .

Reaching for a third biscuit, Hermione dunked it in her new cup, before popping it into her mouth. Severus was watching her still, and she knew It was because she had a full blown meltdown the hour before. He knew she was alright now, but in the coming weeks, she would have a hard time ahead of her. He knew, not only from Lily and her boyfriend breaking up with her, but with his mother and the women his father brought home from the bar.

 _11 year old Severus sat on the threadbare and molding coach, his transfiguration book open on the cushion next to him. His mother was in the kitchen, chopping the few vegetables they had in preparation for soup. She had bought a small chicken the day before, and had already cooked it. The house was smelling better with the broth and spices slowly boiling, and while his stomach was beginning to rumble, he knew he would not be eating that meal._

 _He would leave, putting his book in the threadbare satchel he had, not wanting to bring his nice school bag out into Cokesworth. Most likely, he would go through garbage cans and dumpsters, or go to the little grove by the river where the edible mushrooms grew and he would make his own soup, using whatever he found and water from his neighbor's hose. He had a few dented pots and pans hidden in the shed in his backyard, under the workbench that his father never used._

 _As he packed his book and prepared to leave, his hunger moving him along, Before he could make it to the front door, it opened and he jumped into the shadows of the house as his father walked into the room. Behind him was a woman, drunk as he was, and they made their way upstairs, the woman giggling. Severus walked back from the curtains and into the kitchen, looking at his mother who had the knife in her hand held tightly._

" _Severus, I don't want you here while he is. Go see if Lily is around to play." She tried to shoo him out the back door as his stomach let out a loud growl. She halted in her motion and reached into the breadbox. They never used it for bread, and as far as the boy knew there was nothing in the box, but when she opened it, there was a small bag with two sandwich rolls. Eileen made quick work of assembling a sandwich for the two of them, handing him on and a small glass of milk._

" _Severus, I don't want you to end up like your father. I want you to work hard, save your money and make sure that any girl you are with is treated well." She patted his hand while he munched on the chicken sandwich. "Don't make my mistakes."_

 _When the two were done, Eileen quickly washed the plates, hiding the evidence of their meal, before she resumed making the soup for her husband's dinner. Severus assumed the woman he brought over would eat his mother's portion, so he was glad she had made herself a sandwich as well. If he could find and make something that tasted well, he would have to bring some of it to her._

 _Severus was about to leave once more when his father came back downstairs, with the woman clinging to his hand. He watched as Tobias approached Eileen and shove her to the floor, taking up the ladle to serve himself and the woman a bowl of soup._

" _No," Eileen got up and snatched it from his hand. "I cannot stand by any longer. I will not have you feeding yourself and your hussies with the food I make while our son goes hungry. Not anymore. You will leave this house. The both of you." Her weak voice grew stronger as she raised the ladle above her head as if to hit the man._

" _Eileen, shut the fuck up. Go clan up the bedroom, Connie and I made quite the mess." He kissed the woman's neck._

" _No, I will not. I'm done. I want a divorce."_

" _A what?"_

" _A divorce. I'm done. I cant live like this anymore. Severus is starving, you're an asshole and you've been cheating blatantly for years. I'm done. Severus," she turned to him. "Go see if Lily is around to play."_

 _Severus didn't have to be told twice. He didn't know who would win the fight, but he didn't think it was his mother. He wandered down the street, kicking a few pebbles. His parents fought all the time, either with harse words or fists. Lily's parents weren't like that. Mr. Evans never hit the children, he never brought women from the bar home and made messes with them in the bedroom, whatever that meant. He wanted a normal life, but he doubted he would ever have that._

 _Walking along the river, he passed the local fish restaurant. Don Lewis was a good man, but he hadn't ever helped those people on spinner's end. They were too dirty, too dishonest and too poor. But he left his dumpster unlocked, so Severus could eat as much as he wanted. It wasn't too bad, if he didn't think about it too much._

" _Hey!"_

 _Severus paused in opening the dumpster lid. He looked around and saw Don himself, standing in the doorway. "Me?"_

" _Yes, you. Get out of that dumpster and get your behind in here."_

 _Severus was ready for the slap that was bound to happen. All the adults on spinner's end hit him. He was Tobias Snape's son. A worthless man would have a worthless son after all. Instead, he was lead to a booth and a plate of fresh, steaming fish, chips and cold juice was placed before him._

" _Now, why have I seen you rooting through my dumpster?"_

 _Severus stared at the plate before him, his mouth watering. He had never seen so much fresh and good food before, except at the Evans house, where he felt awkward and dirty. He looked up at the man who wore a stained apron and a chef's cap._

" _My family doesn't have a lot of money, sir. We can't always afford food."_

" _I thought as much. You're the Snape boy, right?"_

" _Yes, sir." Severus nodded, knowing that at any moment, he would get slapped or thrown out of the building._

" _Eat up, boy!" Don pointed to the hot plate of food. "You shouldn't have to eat out of my dumpster. Tell you what? I'm going to do you a favor. Come here, every day at 10am, and I'll put you to work. You'll make some money to put away, and I'll feed you."_

 _Severus couldn't believe his ears. A job? His father didn't even have a good job. Hours were not regular, as they only worked when the freight ships came in to be unloaded._

" _But sir," Severus gulped. "My father will…"_

" _I see. You're Tobias' son, right?"_

" _Unfortunately, yes sir." Severus ate a piece of fish with his fingers. Don reached over and unwrapped the fork and knife from the napkin, making Severus think he was going to get reprimanded for using his fingers. Rather, the napkin was handed to him, for him to wipe his fingers when he was done._

" _I know how kids eat. I have a son and a daughter your age. They eat with their fingers too. Just wipe your hands after. Now, I think we can get you a bank account with your name and mine, and I'll only put money in, and I'll never take money out, without your permission."_

" _Why are you being so nice to me, sir?"_

 _Don reached over and ruffled his hair. "I don't like seeing children be abused."_

His parents didn't get a divorce that day, or any of the days after. Instead, Tobias had walked out on the family, leaving Eileen and Severus when the latter was 12. Eileen got a job, working at the local drugstore fulltime, making enough money to fix up the house properly. Tobias would filter in and out, trying to hotwire Eileen's car that her coworkers helped her buy. Severus would garage his car at Don's shop or house after that when he bought his own at 16. Tobias would try when Severus was 15 to drain his bank account, which had, at that point about 2,000 pounds saved. Don, thankfully had been at the bank and stepped in, telling the tellers that Tobias was abusive and a thief, and therefore, the elder Snape had been banned from the property.

Tobias would die, having overdosed in his girlfriend's house, when Severus was 18, just before he joined the death eaters. By then, the house on Spinner's End had been paid off, with Severus and Eileen both paying bills, so Severus took ownership of the home and with Don's help, Eileen was moved to Liverpool, away from the bad memories of her late husband. The last time Severus had seen her, she was seeing another domestic abuse survivor, a man named Jacob.

Hermione had moved from the kitchen to the living room, her legs curled up underneath her, her tea resting on her knee. Severus waved his wand and cleared up the kitchen, nearly breaking his leg on the chair when Hermione cried out.

"What in Merlin's name is going on in here?"

"My apartment!"

Severus looked at her, concerned. "What about it?"

"I want to close it off so Ron can't get in, but I don't know how. He knows my signature by now so he'll be able to figure out any weaknesses." Hermione was pacing the room, picking at her cuticles.

Severus pulled her hands apart, to keep her from making her hands bleed. "I know how to seal a floo and I can set wards so he can't get in. I can do it if you want me to." He tacked on the last bit in a hurry, trying not to step on her toes.

"Oh would you?" Hermione sighed with relief while Severus led her to the floo, landing on her living room rug.

While Severus roamed around the room, waving his wand and chanting, Hermione gathered any books that she wanted and wandered into her bedroom, her eyes roaming around the room, looking at all the traces of Ron. There were pictures on the wall, his robes hanging on the hook, and his side of the bed was mussed, as Hermione hadn't made the bed since he had slept over.

With a wave of her wand, his robes vanished to his apartment, and a box appeared floating next to her, and everything that Ron had bought her and all pictures of the two of them landed in the box, the glass cracking. Wandering into her living room, she sorted through the books and discarded those she didn't care about. After the apartment was stripped, the box was vanished and Hermione dropped to the floor, arms around her middle.

Severus finished the wards and sealing the floo from Ron before he turned around to pull her up to her feet. "We cannot shed tears for those who do not care for us." The two returned to Spinner's End, where Hermione resumed her place on the couch with her warmed tea.

"Severus," Hermione looked at him with wide tear filled eyes. "What do I do?"

"Honestly, Hermione, I would advise you to break up with him. He isn't worth this. And if he can date Lavender Brown behind your back, then he can piss off." He took a sip from his mug.

"I can't believe I was going to buy a house with him." Hermione shook her head, and raised her mug when Dover jumped up on her lap with a chirp.

"You could always buy a home on your own." Severus leaned back in his chair, looking at his assistant with kind eyes.

"I couldn't. My apartment is okay for now, but I can't buy a house on my own, not yet anyways. It doesn't make sense for one girl and her cat to move into a large home just for themselves. My apartment is good enough for now, but I can save and prepare for the one day." She sighed. "I just thought the one day would be here sooner by now."

"That's understandable," He was sympathetic toward her, not having the best support system either.

"I just wonder how Harry and Ginny are going to take it. We thought that worst case he and I would be broken up and we would still be friends. But now, there is cheating that has been added to the mix. I cannot entertain the idea that he and I will be able to be friends or even friendly after all this. His mother is going to be so angry over all this. She's been gunning since day one for Ron and I to be married and to have children. But, I can't give up a career and my life so early. I don't know, its hard."

"I think you should take tomorrow and tell your friends and the Weasleys' what happened. Perhaps, you could talk to Mr. Weasley and take care of everything. You need to end things to fully move on."

"But I have to come here and work on our experiment…"

"No." he shook his head. "You have to get your house in order. Take the time and go over everything you need to. Once everyone is informed, you may come back."

Hermione nodded, looking a little downcast.

*S*S*

"Mrs. Weasley?" Hermione stepped out of the floo, into the Weasley kitchen. Molly was stirring a pot on the stove.

"Oh Hermione! I was just asking Ronnie about you! He's upstairs with the twins, Ginny and Harry. Why don't you head up there and see them? I know you work so much and-"

"Molly, I didn't come as a social call. I'm coming to tell you that I have decided to end my relationship with Ron."

"What? Why?" Molly came over, wiping the spoon from the pot on a rag as she crossed the room.

"He's dating Lavender Brown now. Or rather, has been for the last 6 or 7 months. They've been trying to have a baby together."

Molly's face turned red, and she took a deep breath. "RONALD WEASLEY, GET YOUR BACKSIDE DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!"

Hermione tensed as there were hurried footsteps coming down the stairs. There were more than one set of steps, and as they got closer, the butterflies in her stomach turned into rabid wolves.

"What is it, Mum?" Ron came down the stairs and froze when he saw Hermione.

"You're cheating on Hermione?" Molly raised her spoon and walloped him on the head.

Ginny ran down the stairs, confusion on her face. "Mum what's going on?"

Hermione stepped over to four on the stairs and stepped up onto the bottom stair. "Ron's been sleeping with Lavender Brown."

Ginny looked at her with wide eyes. "For how long?"

"At least 6 months. My friend from Uni saw the two of the m at the OBGYN."

Ginny looked at her brother, who was still getting his head whacked by their mother. "He's so sleezy! Wait, why were they in the OBGYN?"

"He and Lavender are trying to have a baby." A few tears slipped down her cheeks, prompting Ginny to use her thumbs to wipe them away. "Because I refused to."

"No, you have your career in mind. You're making a life for yourself and you're trying to make a name for yourself."

Ron finally got to turn around. "What the hell is going on, Hermione?"

Hermione pulled away from Ginny and wheeled around to face Ron. "What's going on, is you dating Lavender and you dating and trying to have a baby. You were at the OBGYN with her and you were at Donahue's last night with her! So, I'm done. We're done. The bank account has been emptied, my apartment is warded. Just, stay away from me, please. All your belongings are at your place"

She walked out of the room and into the garden, going into Arthur's tinkering shed. "Hey, Mr. Weasley."

"Hey, Hermione. What's the commotion going on in the house?"

"Ron and I broke up." She sat heavily at his table. She picked up one of the broken coffee makers on the top of the work bench.

"Oh no, why?" He came over with the motorcycle alternator he had been working on before she had come in.

"He and Lavender Brown have been trying to have a baby." Hermione sighed. "I'm trying to wrap my head around all of this. I feel like I've been wasting my time. Like he never cared about me. I never thought that this would happen to me."

"We never do." Arthur fiddled with the wrench, trying to loosen a bolt. "But we still love you and you are more than welcome to come here whenever you want. Family events are not off limits."

Hermione smiled at him, with a little moisture in her eyes. "Thank you, Mr. Weasley." She fiddled with his tools, trying not to seem too upset.

"How many times must I tell you? I insist you call me Arthur." He patted her hand. "Everything will be okay. If anyone can survive this, it's you. What is Molly doing to Ron now?"

"Beating him with a spoon when I left." Hermione giggled a little.

"Why don't we go inside and make sure she hasn't killed him." Arthur stood and pulled her off her stool, looping his arm with hers, leading her back across the backyard to the kitchen, where Molly was ranting at her son.

"Regardless, Ronald, Lavender Brown is a horrible girl! She willingly stepped into a role in your life that wasn't available! And furthermore, you should have said no! Hermione has been working her backside off, trying to save for a house and a wedding for the two of you and she's been working two full time jobs and putting up with you!"

"Mum, you don't understand!" Ron shouted.

Mrs. Weasley's eyes flashed. "Ronald Bilious Weasley! Don't you dare raise your voice to me!" She swatted him once more with the spoon. "Now, do I not understand that you were not able to end a relationship before starting a new one? Do I not understand that you were willing to hurt not only a long time friend but your girlfriend as well?"

"No, Mum, Lavender and I agreed that Hermione would still be my girlfriend but Lavender would take care of the…. Well the physical parts…" His voice tapered off.

Hermione froze in the doorway. "You and Lavender agreed? But what about me, Ronald?"

"I didn't think you would mind, honest! You were always working, and how was I supposed to feel? I rarely saw you!"

"I was working for us, Ronald! I was saving for our house, our wedding, our life together!" Hermione's voice turned bitter. "I have been working for you and for me, and you repay me by… fucking Lavender Brown?" She turned away from him and wiped her eyes.

"He's not worth my tears, not worth my tears…" She muttered, her breath shuddering.

"Hermione, are you okay?" Harry rested his hand on her shoulder, coming around to face her.

"I'm fine. I have to go to work, not that I have broken it off with Ron, and told all of you." She twisted on her heel and tossed in the floo powder, speaking the address clearly.

Severus was seated in his armchair, savoring the quiet as his assistant was nowhere to be found. He was relaxed, his cat on his lap and a warm cup of tea in his hands. He was always drinking tea as of late, but he figured there was worse, like the firewhiskey that he used to allow to burn his throat.

As he finished his cup and contemplated a second, Hermione came bowling through the fireplace and flopping on the couch, her shoes clattering to the floor.

"At least you took your shoes off." Severus stated dryly, shaking his head, his hand softly petting the cat on his lap.

"It's done. Ron and I are over." Her voice was muffled from the cushion her face was currently buried in.

"And that's a bad thing?" Severus couldn't help himself, as he summoned the kettle, pouring himself another cup of tea.

"No…. yes… I don't know." Hermione sighed, picked her head up and rolling it to the left to look at him. "I'm conflicted. I loved Ron more than I ever loved anyone before and to have this end the way it has, I'm just trying to work out all my feelings. I was ready to spend my life with him."

"I understand." He stirred his tea and held it up as a silent offer for her.

"No thank you," she sniffled.

"Something stronger?" Severus waved his wand and a bottle of scotch flew over to the coffee table.

"No, I can't start drinking. I'll take some water though." She sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"As you wish." He waved his wand and a glass with ice landed before her, water being poured by an invisible hand coming next.

"Molly walloped Ron really good." She cradled the water in her hands, a small smile coming to her face. "I think she almost cracked her spoon."

*S*S*

Two weeks later, Severus came down into the lab to see Hermione listlessly stirring the cauldron of pain potion for St. Mungo's.

"Alright, that's enough." Severus plucked the spoon from her hand and placed a status charm on the cauldron.

"What?" Hermione lifted her head from her hand and blinked her brown eyes at him.

"You've been moping around for weeks, feeling sorry for yourself. I'm not having it anymore." Severus laid the spoon down on a towel.

"I just got cheated on!"

"Three weeks ago!" Severus threw up his hands in frustration. "Believe me, I get it. I watched my mother die inside every time my father brought home another woman. Every time she heard the bed creak, every time he threw another woman's clothes into the wash! You're not alone, princess. Get over yourself!"

"You're an asshole!" Hermione threw herself around the table, started her ascent up the basement stairs.

"No, you're not leaving until we handle this." He grabbed her arm gently and wheeled her around. "I'm sorry, but you're letting him destroy you. I watched my mother go through this alone and I can't sit back and watch someone else. Now, I do have just the thing to distract you." He tossed a small packet onto the table next to her.

"A potions conference in the Netherlands?"

"It's not just a potions conference. It's the potions conference of the year!" he smacked his hand on the table in the biggest show of emotion Hermione had ever seen from him. "Masters from all over the world coming together to share their knowledge! I would like you to come, but only if you want to." He looked down at the table, his hair covering his features.

Hermione looked down at the pamphlet and then at the man before her. She was touched that he wanted her to come with her, and according to the information, masters and assistants from all over the world would be there, ready to share their knowledge. She had always wanted to go to these conferences and here it was, her ticket to the one thing she always wanted in her adult career. And she would get to see it with the one person who had been with her from the beginning about Ron.

"Severus," She touched her hand. "I would love to."

 **They're officially done and no there will be no sharing a bed trope. I'm not that bad. I've been cranking out updates like crazy and I'm so glad that you all love the updates so much!**

 **Lots of love,**

 **Erectopatronum**


	7. Chapter 7: For dancing and dreaming

Hermione stood by her open suitcase, her robes thrown onto her bed with shoes and makeup everywhere. Her brain was going a mile a minute, trying to plan her outfits to the locations on their trip. She was excited, and Britney was going to be there with Þórarinn Guðnason, who was very excited to see Severus after not having worked with him for the last 3 years. Severus and Master Guðnason had planned for the two of them to be in the same hotel, paid for by the conference.

She waved her wand, and all the clothes, shoes and toiletries folded themselves up nicely, the suitcase clicking shut. Severus had told her they had to floo to the hotel, and they would be taking a train to the conference center, which was in Amsterdam. The hotel was in Rotterdam, giving them a 40 minute train ride there and back every day, The conference would last a week, and Severus had surprised Hermione with the paperwork that allowed them to host a table about the potion that they created together.

"I don't know, Crooks. Black or red?" Hermione held up two versions of the same cocktail dress, the one she would wear the first night of the conference when they had their large dinner together. She wanted to impress, and she figured she could dress nicely and for her age of nearly 23.

The half Kneazle pawed the black dress, so the young witch tossed the gown into the second suitcase she was bringing. Her formal wear was going into this case, and her shoes were tucked into the bottom. Her formal robes were pressed and charmed to stay unwrinkled, as were her pencil skirts and tops. Severus had told her to pack for a week, and to make sure she had casual muggle clothes and formal and casual wizarding clothes.

Severus would be around in the next hour or so to collect her, their luggage was to be sent ahead. Molly would be coming around every day to feed Crookshanks and clean his box, so he wouldn't be uprooted from his general routine.

The luggage floated behind her as she wandered into the living room, her backpack already stuffed with the books that she wanted to bring with her. She was only going to be there for a week, but she couldn't be without all her texts, as she started too many at one time.

She swung her bag over her shoulder and sat on the couch, scratching Crookshanks ears as the fireplace roared to life. Severus Snape stepped out, his own bag slung across his body, the material bulging with his own books stuffed inside.

"Are you packed to go?"

Hermione nodded, before standing up, giving the cat a final pat on the head. She waved her wand at his bowl, leaving the first serving of food; Molly wouldn't be coming till the next day. As she tended to the feline, Severus tapped her luggage with a series of patterns and with a pop, the suitcases were gone, transported to their hotel.

"So how are we getting there?"

Severus fixed the strap of his satchel, before turning to answer her. "We're apparating. We have to apparate twice and then take the train into Rotterdam. We're meeting Þórarinn Guðnason and his apprentice at the train station. We will travel together."

"Oh, wonderful!" Hermione stepped closer, knowing that the pair would be preforming side along apparation, rather than individual. They would be going to Canterbury before heading to Ghent, Belgium to take the 11:35 am train which would take them into Rotterdam.

Hermione allowed Severus to wrap his arms around her, and with a twist they were gone.

*S*S*

"Goodness," Hermione stumbled as they landed in the apparation spot near the Ghent train station. "I've never done apparation one after the other."

"You get used to it," Severus grasped her elbow and led her to the train station, leading her to the meeting point of the group. There, Britney sat on a bench, holding two bags, one of her own and the bag of Þórarinn Guðnason.

"Ahhh, Severus!" the older man leaned heavily on his cane and stood up, handing it to Britney with a smile. "It has been too long."

"I saw you six months ago." Severus accepted the hug from the man, keeping one arm around him to keep him steady.

"Yes, but I am old, Severus. I may not have six more months."

"That is not true, Þórarinn. You're going to live forever, Merlin willing. You have been working on an elixir of life, after all."

"I have given up on the elixir, Severus." He walked toward the girls who had taken up residence on the bench. "It is the natural way of things to die. I realized that when I spoke to Nicolas Flammel's son, Alexander. I will die, and you will absorb my business into yours."

"Þórarinn, I couldn't. What about your apprentice?"

"She will remain. She is not ready to run her own business, not yet at least. I will have you take over the finances and she will run the shop like she does now. On a salary, until she has the skills to take care of my shop and customers."

"I see." Severus picked up the man's bag and waved the girls to follow. "Are you making plans because you expect to die soon?"

"Britney didn't tell you?" He looked at his Apprentice. "I told you to fill them in."

Britney looked down at her feet. "I couldn't be the messenger, sir."

"Hmmm. " He frowned at her, then reached over and touched her hand. "I don't blame you."

"Blame her for what?" Severus took the man's cane and handed it to him as they went down the stairs to the train.

"I have cancer, Severus. It's in my bones." He patted the younger man's hand. "I'm getting treatment, but in case the inevitable happens, take care of my business. Take care of Britney. Move the shop to England, absorb it into yours. Sell the actual building, that doesn't matter. My sons will take the house and my wife is to be taken to our daughter's home in France. It's all in my will."

"Þórarinn, why didn't you tell me before?"

"I knew you would worry." The Icelandic man pointed to the train that lay ahead. "Now, ladies," he let go of Severus and latched onto the two girls. "Our chariot awaits!"

*S*S*

Hermione sat on Severus' bed while he unpacked his bags and put his clothes away. "I can't believe Britney never said anything." She straightened one of the pillows. "I'm so sorry."

Severus sighed and put the last pair of shoes onto the rack in the closet. "It's alright. It cannot be helped. Þórarinn Guðnason is in his 90s." He turned back to her. "No one lives forever, not even wizards."

"But don't wizards and witches live much longer than muggles?" Hermione drew her knees up to her chest, her shoes lingering on the floor.

"Yes, they can. Dumbledore was 118 when he had me kill him. But they can also get illness and die. There are no promises in this world." He sat next to her and debated on touching her arm or her hand, to try to comfort her from sadness, a sadness that she really didn't need to have.

"I know that. Believe me, I know that." Hermione took a deep breath. She stood before Severus could pluck up the courage to touch her arm, his hand dangling in the arm for a second before he dropped it quickly. She moved to the window, looking out at the street before her.

"Look at these people. They have no idea if today will be their last day. None of us do. Britney has been holding this in, worrying about me and my issues with Ronald. I wish she had told me about this."

"And what would it have helped? You can't stop this from happening. But you can support your friend and Master Guðnason while they go through this. With any luck, he responds well to treatment and recovers. We'll see."

"Talking about me, are you?" Guðnason walked into the room, waving his wand, setting his luggage to unpack. He then set to unloading his case, putting tonic after tonic on the bedside table next to his bed. "Goodness, those stairs are murder on the knees!"

"Don't tell me you took the stairs?" Severus tucked his empty suitcases under the bed, stowing them out of the way.

"Of course, I did! The lift was taking far too long to get there!" He downed two vials of potion, shuddering as he did so. "These tonics taste like arse, if you ask me. Pardon my language, young lady."

Hermione giggled a little, taking her perch on the her employer's bed once more. Britney walked in with his other bags, shaking her head.

"I told him that it wasn't a good idea." She placed the two totes at the end of his bed.

"Hogwash! My cancer is in my arm bones, not my legs." He sat on the bed and rubbed his knees. "More specifically, my left arm bones. They managed to contain it to one arm, which is good. Worst case, I lose my left arm, right?"

"Yes, that is worst case." Severus snapped one of the drawers shut.

"Severus, my boy, I don't know why you're getting so broken up over all this. This is life. But I will be fine. I know my limits."

"I suppose." Severus' lips were tight, and Hermione knew that there was another underlying issue.

*S*S*

"You two need to go and get ready for the dinner that's happening in a few hours." Severus laid his own dress robes out on the bed, addressing Hermione and Britney who had taken to making a house of cards with Guðnason.

"Alright. Let us finish this and we'll be on our way." Britney said before sticking her tongue out in concentration, placing the last card on top.

Guðnason then smacked the top of it, causing the cards to scatter all over the room. "Boom!" he laughed, standing, leaning heavily on his cane. "Alright, girls, go get ready."

Hermione and Britney ran off, going across the hall to their bedroom where their bags were still packed. Hermione waved her wand and the bags set to unpacking, while Britney did the same.

"What are you wearing?" Britney shook out her dress, a blue empire waist long sleeve gown. It fell to her knees, while remaining flowing and simple. She had ballet flats that went with it and she put everything on the bed while she did her hair and makeup.

"I have this for the first night." Hermione took out a lace, long sleeved black dress that fell to her knees. It had a plunging neckline, and the skirt was tight against her thighs.

"Oh damn, Hermione. Who are you trying to impress?" Britney turned from the mirror, her eyeshadow brush dangling from her hand.

"No one!" Hermione blushed, tossing her dress down on her bed. Her black heels stood ready next to the door.

"Is it Severus?"

"No!" Hermione shook her head, her curls flying around her head.

"Okay, 'mione…." She continued to do her makeup.

Hermione grabbed her own items, and moved into the bathroom, enchanting her curling iron to tackle her hair for her while she did her own makeup, Sleak-easy being dumped into her hair to tame it. She had learned in University how to not rely on her own hands to do hair, and she was forever grateful to Britney for showing her the spells to enchant her hair tools.

When she was done, Hermione summoned her dress and heels, slipping them on before coming out of the bathroom.

"Okay, what do you think?" Hermione picked up her clutch purse and stood before her best friend.

"Holy shit, Hermione." Britney paused in zipping up her dress. "Severus won't know what hit him."

"This isn't for him, Britney. I bought this after Ron and I broke up so I could feel good about myself." Hermione smoothed down the lace that lay over the black fabric. "I may or may not have worn this on my couch, alone at 3 am with some wine and a romcom."

Britney laughted and looped her arm around Hermione's. "I've done the same thing. Now, let's go shock our employers!"

The two went across the hall, Hermione's heels clacking on the hardwood of the hallway. They knocked, and Guðnason answered the door.

"Well hello ladies! If I was only 70 years younger…" He winked good naturedly at the girls and kissed Britney on the cheek. "You look lovely, dear."

"Thank you Master Guðnason." She slipped into the room and took up her perch on the chair in the 'living room'. Hermione went to slid around him, but he stopped and grasped her elbow.

"Give us a twirl!" He laughed, straightening his bow tie. "I was not expecting anything this fancy, Miss Hermione."

"I had it in the back of my closet and thought, 'why not'?" she tossed her hands up and laughed, going back to sit next to Britney while they waited for Severus to be done in the bathroom.

"He's going to lose his mind when he sees you!" Britney whispered to Hermione, making sure Severus couldn't hear them through the bathroom door.

"What makes you say that he even likes me?"

"Oh come off it! You're young, hot, recently single, smart, funny and any guy would and should be killing themselves to want to be with you."

"He's my employer, Brit." Hermione shifted on her chair. "I don't like him like that."

As they finished their conversation, Severus opened the door to the bathroom, fixing his cufflinks. He pulled up short at the sight of Hermione with her usually frizzy curls swept into a fancy updo with a few curls framing her face. In her hair, she wore a floral clip where the hairstyle started in the back, and her dress was tighter than anything he had ever seen her in before. When the two girls stood, he noticed the plunging neckline accenting her womanly figure and making her look more like the 23 year old she was. With her heels, she gained a few inches, now stopping right below his chin.

"You look beautiful, Hermione. And you as well, Miss Mi-Britney."

"Thank you, Severus." The girls chimed together as Severus checked his pocket watch.

"We must be going." He ushered them over to the door where Guðnason stood, waiting with his cane.

"Are we taking the train to Amsterdam?" Britney grabbed her light summer shawl, coming to meet the group by the door.

"No, we're apparating but we need to leave the hotel, so the muggles don't wonder why we never leave." Guðnason laughed. "I made that mistake when I came to my first convention. I apparating everywhere, and the receptionist sent a bellboy to check on me as I was apparating in. I had about 5 seconds to transfigure my clothes to pajamas and jump in bed. It was a nightmare."

Hermione laughed as she linked her arm with Severus. Britney did the same with Guðnason, though Britney would be controlling their apparation. The dinner would be taking place in the ballroom where the conference would be taking place the rest of the week. Hermione was nervous taking a full week off for her job, but Kingsley was adamant that she took her time and enjoyed herself. As it was a work trip, he had told her, it didn't count for her vacation days.

Hermione had taken a few case files with her, going over the contents on the train ride there, and each one would be sent to the Ministry at the end of the day. One of her assistants, Jasmine would step up to take her place as the Senior Undersecretary for the seven days she was gone, and Hermione planned on promoting her to her head assistant when she returned, if she did well during the week alone.

With a pull, Hermione landed inside the ballroom, her arm still looped into Severus'. He didn't release her like she thought he would and she wasn't too upset from the action. In fact, it warmed her stomach and a few butterflies were released in her gut.

' _No, Hermione! He's your boss, and just a friend! You just got out of a relationship, after all."_

She shook her head a little as they made their way to the table set for six.

"Are you alright?" Severus pulled her chair out for her and for Britney, waiting until she and Britney were seated before he sat himself.

"I'm fine, thank you though."

" _Was Britney right? Am I falling for Severus? I mean, he's been so kind to me and he's not an awful man at all. And if I'm honest with myself, he's not that bad to look at."_

She watched him take a sip of his wine before she turned to Britney who was watching her with a smug smile on her face.

*S*S*

After all the potioneers walked into and sat in their chairs, brownies came out of the kitchens, menus in hand. Hermione accepted hers with a smile as she continued the conversation her table was having. Two new people had joined them, other colleges of Severus and Guðnason, from Australia. Oliver and Conner Jameson were two brothers who had built the largest potions firm in Sydney. Severus had met them when he finished his mastery, and he had worked with them on their safety measures.

"So, Severus, you've never brought anyone to these conferences. And I've never seen you with anyone as beautiful as this one." Oliver took a swig of his whiskey, laughing. "This your wife?"

"No Oliver, she isn't. She's my assistant."

"So, you're single…?" He leaned across the table to get closer to Hermione. Before he could reach out to touch her, Guðnason smacked him across the head with his cane.

"If I were you, I would sit down. I may be old, but I can still pack a punch."

"Oh, stop it, I was just teasing." He finished his drink. "But, if you are single, I wouldn't mind seeing you again."

Hermione reached out with her left hand and took her wine glass. With her right, she reached over to Britney and took her hand. "Tragically for you, sir, I am not single, nor am I interested in men. I do not want to date a man, kiss a man or have any romantic relationship with a man."

Britney looked at Hermione with laughter in her eyes. "We've been together for 5 years tomorrow." She leaned over and kissed Hermione on the cheek.

Oliver made a disgusted noise and stood up. "Fine. I'm getting another drink." He walked away.

Conner took a sip of water before laughing. "You two aren't dating, are you?"

Britney let Hermione's hand go and used her napkin to wipe off the lipstick from Hermione's cheek. "When we first met in Uni, we used to pretend we were dating so creepy men would leave us alone. Or our friend Derek would pretend to be our boyfriend. It's easier that way."

"Smart." Conner smiled a little. "Excuse my brother, though. He means well, but he has no idea how to treat each other. But if you don't mind me asking, are you seeing anyone?"

"No," Hermione took another sip. "He and I separated a few weeks ago."

"Oh no. I'm so sorry. Was it mutual?"

"Ehhh." She picked at her cuticles. "He started to see someone else, but forgot to tell me."

"That's terrible, I'm so sorry." Conner finished his water just as his brother returned with another drink.

Hermione shrugged. "It's alright, I didn't need him anyways."

"What's terrible?" Oliver sat back down and took a roll from the basket on the middle of the table. "Who don't you need?"

"I don't need men who I barely know asking me about personal details when I haven't exhibited any desire to share details of my life." Hermione smiled a little, finishing her wine with one smile.

"Very well said, Hermione," Severus smirked, flipping a page of his menu.

"I was just making polite conversation." Oliver sipped his fresh drink.

Guðnason took another tonic after checking his watch for the time. Hermione noticed that Severus' demeanor changed when the older man took more of his medication. She put one hand on his arm and squeezed his bicep, trying to offer some sort of support.

Severus smiled a little and gently shrugged off her arm.

' _She's touched me a few times already. And why did I want to take her hand earlier? Why did she touch me now? She can't have feelings for me? I'm certainly taking this much too far.'_

Hermione tapped his arm once more, gesturing to the brownie that stood by his side, waiting to take his order. Severus started and ordered his meal, handing his menu to the brownie and nodding his thanks to Hermione.

*S*S*

Hermione opened her napkin and laid it over her lap, her wine refilled. She didn't wish to get drunk tonight, unlike the others around her. Many of the masters and their assistants were quickly on their way to getting plastered, except those at her table, save for Oliver.

She looked at Severus, who delicately took his knife in his left and his fork in his right. His whiskey was nearly untouched and Hermione took a deep breath before getting his attention.

"Yes, Hermione?"

"I was wondering…" Hermione took a breath and then more or less blurted out her question. "Why don't you drink as heavily as the other masters here?"

Severus chuckled as he made quick work of cutting hid steak into bite sized manageable cubes. "My father was an alcoholic, remember? Those things tend to run in families, and while I am not an alcoholic, I still fear becoming like him." He took a bite of food and swallowed. "Simple as that."

:"But if you're not like him, then why not… I don't know, let loose for a night?" Hermione ate a bit of her own meal.

"I could, but I was once a spy. Part of being a good spy is not letting your guard down. When you let your guard down, you can be killed."

Hermione finally nodded in understanding. "I see." She turned away from him and toward her plate.

"Why the curiosity about my drinking habits?" Severus finally reached over and took a small sip of whiskey.

"I was just curious, that's all." She looked at Guðnason and Britney who were deep in conversation in Icelandic about a document they were working on while they were on the train. She wondered what the writing on the paper meant and she was going to ask when Severus touched the back of her hand briefly. When she looked at him, he shook his head.

"They're discussing his tonics for his treatment and what to do if they stop working." Severus whispered in her ear. "He doesn't want the other masters to worry about him."

Hermione saw the sadness in his eyes and wondered what the relationship that Severus had with Guðnason. Was he another father figure? To Hermione, he looked a little like Dumbledore, Perhaps, that was why he was so sad. He would be losing his mentor twice in less than 0 years. She knew he and Slughorn didn't really get on, and McGonagall was juts a very good friend.

"Do you speak Icelandic?" Hermione whispered back.

"A little. I know enough to get by." Snape pointed at her pate with his fork. "Eat. You haven't eaten well in the past few weeks from stress from Ronald, and you cannot afford to lose more weight."

Hermione laughed. "Careful, Severus Snape. People might think that you have a heart."

*S*S*

Once dinner was done and the plates were taken away, a band came out onto the small stage in the far corner of the room. Guðnason took Britney and Hermione's hands, dragging them out onto the dance floor with the other masters, laughing as the girls protested.

"Nonsense girls! This old man still has a funk that needs to get out!" He tucked his cane into the crook of his arm, and took the two of their hands. Twirling them around the floor, he danced the two of them in a waltz that was awkward with three partners.

After a while pf this, Severus came over and took Britney's hand with a bow. "May I ask the lady to a dance?"

Britney laughed and let him lead her away. "You may."

Guðnason took up proper waltz position with Hermione, leading her around the floor. "I heard you and Severus at dinner." He said casually.

"Oh, I'm sorry for intruding!" Hermione stepped in time with the band, startled when he smiled.

"Britney has an idea to make my tonics work better. Right now, the cancer is trapped in my arm. It can't move to the rest of my body. Magic may not be a cure-all, but it can prolong life. With this, the worst thing that will happen is that they remove mt arm. I'm not scared. I have a protype ready and waiting in cause I do get this amputated. I will make it to my 100s, I'm sure."

"Severus will be relieved." Hermione sighed, then bit her lip. "Don't tell him I said that."

"Oh Hermione, I know how Severus is." The old man laughed. "I once hired him like I hired Miss Britney. He used to run my business when he was a lot younger."

"I thought you two had a relationship outside of just potions masteries." Hermione laughed as she got twirled. " I was wondering if he was your mentee or something."

"He was, once upon a time." He laughed. "He was a good boy, even with that Death Eater nonsense. I never discriminated against him."

"I'm sure he appreciated that."

"I certainly did." Severus came back with Britney, offering his hand to Hermione. "If I may cut in?"

Guðnason released his hold on Hermione and took Britney by the hand. "Come Britney, we need to show these men how Iceland handles dance!" They disappeared into the crowd.

Severus placed his hand on her hip and took up her hand in his own. They moved like fluid through the gaps made in the crowd, the slow music propelling them forward.

"So, you were talking about me?" Severus smirked, his tone light.

"All good things, all good things." Hermione gasped as he dipped her low.

"I would hope so, or I would have to fire you."

"I don't believe that was in the contract, so I would have to take you to court for unjust job termination."

Severus laughed, his deep tone like hot melted chocolate to Hermione's ears. He so very rarely laughed. Hermione thought the sound was beautiful.

' _I couldn't be falling for Severus Snape, could I?'_


	8. Chapter 8: Get your potions here!

**This story is picking up and I am so excited! I am hoping to get into the meat of the story in the next few chapters, but we'll see how that goes. I want to thank every single one of you all who leave reviews, leave comments, follow and favorite. They mean the absolute world to me and I look forward to every single one that I receive. You all are so wonderful and I feel like I don't take enough time to acknowledge that. I wouldn't have the drive to do this without all of you who have supported this story and all my other stories, and without you all allowing me to force these characters into ridiculous situations sometimes.**

Hermione and Britney stumbled into their hotel room after their night of dinner and dancing, their heels dangling from their hands. Their cheeks were flushed with the wine that had been drunk and they were slightly sweating from the two men across the hall spinning them around the dance floor all night.

Hermione dropped her shoes by her bed and dropped down face first on the bed, her hands coming up to pull her curls out of the bun they were in, the pins falling around her head like a demented halo. Britney came over to the bed and picked them up, handing Hermione the makeup wipes from the bathroom.

"Here," Britney tossed pajamas on the bed as well before getting herself ready for bed as well.

"Thank you," Hermione yawned, rolling over to scrub her face clean. "Have you been to a conference before?"

"I've been to one in Iceland, but it was one day and there were only panels for you to listen to. This is much different." She kicked her shoes off and went into the bathroom to wash her face.

"I wonder how this is going to be run." Hermione mused from the bed, picking up the pins she had plucked from her hair, placing them in the tin she kept them in.

"I heard that each of the masters has a day to run a table and talk about their research, their discoveries and any inventions they have." Britney walked out of the bathroom, her dress in her hand and her pajamas on her body.

"I wonder what Severus has planned for his table." Hermione stood up from the bed and into the bathroom for her turn to get ready for bed.

"Not sure," Britney laid on her bed and turned the tv on with a flick of her wand. "He's done so much in the last few years, I'm not sure how he's going to pick."

Hermione came out of the bathroom, scrubbing her face wash potion into her skin. "What is Master Guðnason presenting?" She scrubbed the potion into her skin, the left-over makeup leaving her pores, turning the purple potion on her skin a dull beige. She wiped the mixture off her face with a small hand towel.

"His fertility potion." Britney settled on the food network that was running on the television and tossed her wand on the bedside table. "He made it for his son's wife, so they could have kids."

"I'm assuming that sold well?"

"Extremely! He and his wife actually helped me pay off my student loans with that money." Britney reached for the phone to order room service, even though they had eaten dinner a few hours previous. "Hi, can I get the dessert platter sent to room 359 please? Thank you!" She hung up the phone and looked at Hermione who was putting on her eye pads and face mask. "What?"

"We just ate."

"Yes, and watching people make food makes me hungry. I ordered the dessert platter, so I'll have plenty to share." She handed Hermione the menu for room service.

"Brit, this platter feeds like 8 people. Why would you get this?"

"I'm hungry, alright? We can bring some over to the other room. Master Guðnason loves chocolate cake."

*S*S*

Hermione lifted the cover of the platter with wide eyes. Cake, cookies, brownies, ice cream, eclairs and so much more were laid out before them, with tea and champagne either wrapped in a cozy or sitting in ice respectively. The menu might claim that it fed 8 people, but this was enough food for an army. She cast a freezing charm on the ice cream to keep it from melting, and she took one of the small plates off the cart.

Britney did the same, taking a slice of cake and a glass of champagne from the cart, returning to the bed to indulge. "Hermione, have you given any thought to dating since you and Ron have split?"

Hermione shook her head. "It's only been 3 weeks. I'm too busy to consider another relationship. And anyways, even if I was to date, I would want someone who is serious about me and their job, passionate about what they do and about education, and someone who is prepared to be an adult. Ron was willing to coast through life with no real plan, and he resented me for having a plan in the first place, especially a plan that didn't involve me having his babies as soon as I was out of school. I told him I wanted to purchase a home before he and I got married, and I thought he understood the amount of work that would take."

"Men typically don't think. But there is someone I can think of that is perfect for you…" Britney laughed a little.

"Who?"

"Severus Snape, stupid." Britney took a bite of her treat. "He's smart, dedicated to his business, values you and what you do, need I go on?"

"Britney, I think you've inhaled too many cauldron fumes." Hermione reached over and took another cookie from the platter. "Severus and I are friends, nothing more."

"I doubt that. I'm going to put money on it that you two will be together before the year is out." She laughed a little at Hermione's face, which was scrunched up a little bit at the idea.

"You're daft. Even if he is smart and funny in a dry way, or that he and I are in the same profession and love what we do…" she trailed off. "I am falling for him, aren't I?"

"I think you are. I would say that you were as soon as the fighting started with Ron last month."

"But I didn't actively start looking for someone new because things were getting hard with Ron! I wanted to make that work."

"I know, babe. But the heart wants what it wants, and I think deep down you were already aware you and Ron were not going to work out. I think he knew it too." Britney scraped the frosting off her plate and licked the fork clean, before getting up to get another piece.

"I loved Ron with all my heart, and I feel like if Severus and I somehow get together, I will just be proving Ronald right by dating Severus." She laid her head in her hands, rubbing her eyes with the heels of her hands.

"So? Fuck what Ron thinks! He's a twat." Britney tossed Hermione an éclair. "He doesn't have a place in your life anymore. If he cared about you, he wouldn't have cheated, or lied or done any of the things that he had done." She sighed. "I love you Hermione and I hated watching him hurt you over and over. He doesn't care about anyone but himself. It wouldn't surprise me if he cheated on Lavender before they hit one year."

Hermione nibbled on the éclair, her mind racing. If she admitted that she had feelings for Severus, how would their relationship change? Would they be able to continue to work together in a way that was useful? He probably had no feelings for her other than the ones that were friendly.

"Do you," She swallowed and cleared her throat. "Do you think he likes me back?"

"Without a doubt. He couldn't keep his eyes off you and he was livid when that guy was making comments about you at dinner. And he danced with you like all night." She plopped onto the bed, nearly spilling her drink in the process.

"Well, I'm not 100% sure how I'm going to get him to ask me out. After all, he's my boss. What if he fires me? What if he doesn't feel the same way? What if he hates me or if he can't bring himself to date me and things never go back to normal?"

"Hermione, you can't live your life in fear anymore! Ron was the minority of the men out there. Severus Snape is the future. He's a wonderful man and if he doesn't want to be with you, then he's the stupidest and craziest man I've ever met." She drained her new glass.

Hermione recorked the champagne and poured the two of them a steaming mug of tea. "Here. More liquor is the last thing that we need." She stirred her own brew. "should I go talk to him now?"

"Nah, tomorrow would be the best. We've all had some drinks and we're all tired. I think tomorrow would be the best time." Britney laid her tea back on the cart and got her self into bed.

Hermione did the same, and there she lay on the bed, for a long while, trying to figure out what she was going to say to Severus when she woke up.

*S*S*

Hermione and Britney woke the next morning, dressing in their more formal robes, each having a different set of nerves. Britney's were more set on the public speaking she was going to be doing that day and Hermione on her talk with Severus Snape. Master Guðnason wanted to talk to Britney in the lobby before they caught the train, which made Hermione angry and happy at the same time. Severus felt the same way, and called her into his room as soon as she was ready to go.

"Break a leg, babes." Britney whispered as she passed the bushy haired woman when she knocked on the door to Severus and Master Guðnason's room.

Hermione made a face and waited until the door opened and Severus immerged in his formal robes.

"Come in, come in!" Severus moved and she went in the room, sitting on the plush chair near the window.

"I want to show the potion we created, the one for the powerful lotion." Severus gathered his documents, and laid them on the table before her. "I think it will be a hit and I spent a good part of last night creating samples to hand out for the panels today."

"That's pretty smart, actually." Hermione picked up on of the bottles from the bag on the floor, holding it in the sunlight, examining the contents.

"I've been known to have good ideas sometimes." He smirked, and Hermione felt the butterflies turn to rabid wolves in her stomach. Her face grew warm and she knew he saw her blush.

"Are you alright?"

"Severus," She licked her lips. "I need to talk to you about something actually." She tried to take a few deep calming breaths but ultimately failed.

"Is everything alright?" Severus leaned forward, and was so close, Hermione could smell his after shave, the sandalwood penetrating her nose.

"Yes, no, maybe. It would depend on your answer." Hermione twisted her fingers around and around. "If I may be so frank… I have feelings for you, and I have a feeling that you also have feelings for me. Feelings that run deeper than just that of friendship and no, I'm not feeling these feelings because you helped me with Ron or brought me here with you, but if I'm honest with myself, I've felt them for a while. I think the first time I felt real, deep, true feelings for you was when we had dinner with our old professor. There was a feeling I couldn't shake and I knew then, if I'm being perfectly honest, Ron and I wouldn't last, even in that moment. I know, I'm probably crazy and I ruined this job most likely, so I understand if you want to fire me."

She looked down at the floor and refused to look at Severus, who remained silent. Eventually, she couldn't take it any longer, and she looked at him through her eyelashes.

He was looking at her with a shocked expression, like he had never expected her to say those words, which wouldn't be too far off from Hermione's own feelings if Severus had admitted his own feelings to her.

She couldn't take it any longer and stood, excusing herself quickly, before trying to leave the room. Severus moved faster than normal, reaching out to take her hand before she could get out of the room.

"Please, sit." Severus gestured to the chair she had left, holding her hand for a moment longer than he intended. "Maybe we should talk…"

"You don't have to humor me. I'm an adult Severus. I can handle rejection." She sat, shaking her head.

He smiled a little at her, shaking his head as well. "No, Hermione. I'm not rejecting you. In fact, I return your feelings that you have for me. But I urge you to reconsider those feelings. I am nearly 20 years your senior and furthermore, my name alone would make your life so much harder."

"Severus, I don't care. I want to be with you. I think we would be good together." Hermione reached over and took both his hands in hers.

Severus looked at her hands, surprised at the contact.

"So what are we going to do?" Severus swallowed a little, squeezing her hands tightly in his.

"We could wait until we come back from this trip?" Hermione shrugged a little. "I know that we both are busy. Perhaps we can go and get dinner or something when we get back? We should focus on the conference and what we need to do, and then we can work on us? I'm not entertaining the idea of anyone else at the moment."

Severus rubbed his thumbs across the backs of her hands. "It's a good thing that I'm not either."

*S*S*

The four stepped off the train in Amsterdam, their bags bulging with their showcase items. Thankfully, the hotel they were using for the conference was a wizarding one, and was located in the abandoned building next door.

"So, I don't understand why we didn't stay here instead of travelling for 40 minutes every day." Hermione shifted her bag on her shoulder, feeling Severus lay his hand on her lower back to guide her across the street.

"Wizarding hotels are much more expensive. And this one is full. Not only is our conference going on this week, but the Lycanthropy convention is going on as well."

"Wait, there's a lycanthropy convention?"

"Mhmm," Severus held the door open for her. "As I hear it, Lupin's law is a hit. It's been put in place world wide. You're a bit of a hero to them actually."

"Why me?" She followed her group down a hallway, where there were hundreds of tables.

"You are the one who wrote the law and got it passed, are you not?" Master Guðnason dropped his bag on the table with his name, setting up his back drop with a wave of his wand. There, all his patients were displayed along with his certification as a potions master.

Severus did the same, but his was a little different. Instead of just his certification, Hermione's was also displayed as well as her degree in transfiguration. The two patients where she had been listed as a creator were displayed as well, and they were larger than the 52 other patients that Severus had made on his own.

"Severus, why am I displayed as well? I'm just an assistant."

Severus waved his wand and the bottles of hand softening potion were spread out on the table, along with the other inventions he had made that could be tested right at the table. Teeth whitener, hair washing fluid, a new and improved form of wizarding mouthwash, a potion that dyed the nails whatever color the user wanted for 12 hours, like a nail polish., He also had a nail polish that would flash bright neon colors as the day wore on.

"You are so much more than just an assistant. In fact, I was going to wait to ask, in fact I was going to ask when we got back to England, but I was wondering if you would like to be an official partner in the company? I completely understand if that's too much with your ministry job and.." Hermione placed her hand over his mouth to stop his rambling.

"Severus, I would love that."

The dour man couldn't help but break into a large smile. He had imagined that she would shut him down with a kind smile, not accept on the spot.

"The job comes with a pay raise, too.

"Oh my god, you just keep throwing money at me. Tell you what. Either put that money in a trust for my future kids or for Teddy Lupin. Lord knows his grandmother will need the help. Hogwarts isn't cheap and you know that even though Harry has the money to help her raise him, she will not let him pay for everything. And she's been in a pinch lately with cash."

"The raise is only 100 more galleons a month, so I'll make two funds. One for Lupin's spawn and the other for whatever children you have. Sound fair?" He moved the chairs, so they were a little closer together before tucking his bag away and sitting down. Hermione followed his lead.

"My house fund is nearly done. I was looking at a small cottage on the edge of the woods in the countryside. But, I always wanted to build my own home. I just don't know what to do."

"Are you unhappy in your apartment?" Severus straightened some bottles, waiting for the other masters to file in to see their products.

Tomorrow, the other half od the masters would do the same as Severus and Hermione were, allowing everyone to see the progress of the field. As the day went on, they were all given a couple time slots to leave their tables and explore all the masters, so that everyone would get to see and experience all there was to offer. On Wednesday, there would be a few speakers, and Thursday would be the final dinner and closing remarks. Friday was given as a travel day, and then they would all have the weekend to recover.

"No, I love my apartment, but I want to move on to bigger and better things. But again, I want to actually design my own home. I really want a large library and reading room, just like my grandmother had when I was very young. She had a small house in all other aspects, but her library took up 50% of her house. She's the reason I love to read."

AS she finished speaking, a man and a young woman approached the table. "Ahhh Severus," The woman reached out to shake the man's hand. "It has been too long."

"Esmerelda." Severus stood, and hugged her over the table. "You look well."

"I feel well. It's been a good few months. The potion you gave me worked wonders." She patted her round belly, clearly pregnant. "I haven't had morning sickness in weeks."

"Excellent! Oh, how rude of me-" He reached over and helped Hermione to her feet. "Esmerelda, this is my business partner Hermione. Hermione, this is my old friend Esmerelda. We went to uni together and this is her husband Mark.":

Hermione reached her hand out to shake the woman's, noticing her hand was cool to the touch. There was something about her, an air of coolness and professionalism that Hermione hoped to emulate.

"How are you, Hermione?" the woman's teeth were brilliantly white and straight as she grinned at the girl.

"Wonderful, thank you for asking." She pulled out every measure of professionalism she had, thankful she had clipped her hair back that day in the fashion she wore it to work; a bun at the nape of her neck, the hair at the front of her face braided onto a single braid, tucked into her bun at the back.

"Are you a potions mistress as well?"

"Oh yes, I got my degree last year." She gestured to the wall where it hung behind her.

"Oh a fresh one?" Esmerelda laughed, holding her belly with two hands. "Oh Hermione, you're going to love your career. I assume you've only gotten your feet wet?"

"Pretty much, but it's been rewarding so far." Hermione waved her hand over the bottles on the table. "Severus and I created these last month and the patient went through last week, so this is the first testing of the product on the public. If all goes as planned, they hit the market on Monday."

"A year out and you already have a patient. Severus, you do move quickly. She must be the brightest-"

"Witch of her age. Yes, I get that a lot."

Severus smirked, handing the woman and her husband a vial of the potion on the table. "Here, a sample of her brilliance. I had the pleasure of teacher her when she went to Hogwarts and I can assure you of her expertise. She was capable of brewing 7th year potions when she was 13."

"Well, then we will be expecting so much more from you, Miss Hermione."

The pair walked off down the walkway, as Hermione and Severus both resumed their seats.

"Who was that?" Hermione couldn't help to ask, seeing that the two certainly had some sort of connection from when they were younger.

"Esmerelda Gonza. She and I had a lot of classes together when we went to University." Severus reached over slowly and took her hand. "Nothing happened between the two of us, if that's what you're wondering. In fact, I helped her and her husband, Mark, find each other. He was my roommate my first year and the year afterwards."

Hermione nodded, glad that he told her what was going on. However, it didn't mean that she was so comfortable with him being around very beautiful women that she didn't know. She was all too aware of his hand on hers though and she hoped that he would never take it away.

Much to her disappointment, he took his hand back as the floods of people made their way down to the tables. He had to be professional and she knew that, and they were not in a relationship. They had only talked about being in a relationship and there was only an exchanging of feelings.

She knew when they got back to England, their relationship was going to completely change. They might not have their playful banter or their lunches together. Recently, she had been getting him to use the garden for lunch, and they had set up a table for the meals they shared, and in the evenings if they were still working for a brandy and a wine. Hermione had never told Ron. She knew that would cause yet another fight, and she was not looking for that.

Severus got her, more than anyone in the world, other than perhaps Britney. They both loved reading and education while the other boys she had been with like pranks and Quidditch. There had been one boy before Ron, in the three weeks before they dated where they messed around and had fun, but he was 'not emotionally ready' for a relationship. They would get lunch during the day during their years at school and remained friends, Ron never found out about him and she was glad. Ron knew she hadn't been a virgin when they started dating, but he always made comments about wanting to 'knock the guy out' which should have been a red flag, a large red flag that was being waved in the tallest tower of the UK. She ignored all of the red flags over the three years, and there was so much regret.

Severus was not like that. At least not that she could see. There were so much unchartered waters there. She didn't know if he had dated anyone, or if he had been intimate with anyone. Not that it mattered, but she would like to know. But how would she be able to ask something so personal? He was a very closed off, quiet man, and she had to be careful in this fledgling relationship that they had. It was like a small fire. It needed oxygen and fuel, but too much and it would die out faster than it started.

*S*S*

Person after person passed through the venue, bottles disappearing off the table faster than the two could place them there. Hermione had never been asked about her thesis so much, not even when she was presenting it to the board of graduates. Everyone was curious about her contribution to the wizarding world, about what she decided to change. While she thought that a potion designed to condition curly hair properly wasn't that interesting to her now that she was able to create so much more than a cream. She wanted to talk about the project her and Severus were working on, something similar to a patch for muggle smokers, and they wanted to expand on that for all addictions. They had talked about it being a controlled substance, so addicts like his father wouldn't use it like a revolving door.

However, no one cared too much. They were interested in how she got Severus, the man who swore he never needed an assistant at every conference since the early 80s to hire her. They wanted to know how she became friends with Harry Potter, if it was hard to leave her parents behind and fight a war without knowing if they would be alive when she came back. They asked her if she would ever return to Hogwarts for a job, as McGonagall was looking for a new Transfiguration teacher that worked to her standards. They wanted to know how many boyfriends she had before Ron, they wanted to know if she and Ron were getting married. She realized that Ron had not gone public with his relationship with Lavender yet.

She deflected most of the questions, refusing to talk about Harry and her parents and Ron.

"No, Mr. Caldwell. Harry is not here to talk about the war and Ron, Harry and myself have all decided we will not be discussing the war without all three of us there. It is not fair to them if I break that pact." She wrapped up the full sized bottles he purchased and stuck them in the paper bag. "If you want to talk about the past projects I've created or any new ones that are in the process of being patented, I would be more than happy to."

"Yes, yes. Of course. Tell me, how did it make Harry Potter feel when he defeated Voldemort?" He took the bag from her and tucked it away.

"Ok, goodbye Mr. Caldwell." Hermione waved him on his way, even as he protested. "If you read the Daily Prophet from June 2th, 1998, you'll find your question answered."

Hermione, Ron and Harry had given an exclusive interview that day, and it had become their default answer when they were harassed with questions about the most painful part of their lives. They had pre-approved a list of questions and at first, they were torn apart in the press about the idea, but when the final list was released, it had spanned over 50 different question and there was room for 10 questions that were specially about the war, but not about the aftermath. That was too painful. Too real.

Severus was watching her out of the corner of his eye. "How are you holding up?" He sold another bottle of the cream.

"Alright. Ron hasn't released a press statement yet, so I guess that's pretty good." She smiled, leaning back in her chair to reach the box behind her to restock.

"How do you know that for certain?"

"Everyone is asking me if he is here. I keep saying that he's at a conference himself for defense products, which isn't wrong, but its more of a day long workshop than anything. At least I think he's there. Last I knew he and George were going."

Severus smirked. "I heard through the Order grapevine that your older Mr. Weasley is not speaking to Ronald. And that he has reduced him to only doing his grunt work at the shop. He docked his pay and everything."

"How told you that?" Hermione smirked, handing over more bottles and taking more money. The conference was open to people who just wanted to purchase new potions, sometimes before they hit the market. Severus had banked on selling out, as he usually did and he was only planning on taking the samples potioneers put out and recreating them himself in his lab if he liked them. Most potioneers did it, and they would write to each other to tell the other how it could be fixed. It was the best free testing.

"Arthur sent me a Patronus early this morning. He felt you should know. And it was confirmed by Kingsley and my contact in the taxes office."

"Severus, that's illegal."

"Relax, it's my sister. She saw Ronald's name on the pay change and mentioned it in passing. No names, but I knew. She likes to think she's slick but she's not."

"You have a sister?" Hermione was stunned.

"Yes, Her name is Rebecca Oswald. I think you met her before when you became senior undersecretary?"

"Rebecca is your sister? She and I get lunch at least once a week together. She comes to my office for chats all the time." Hermione shook her head. "I never knew. So her son, Lucas, the little 3 year old boy that she brings around with her sometimes…? The one who eats all my biscuits?"

"That's my nephew. She has another two at home. A 6 year old boy named Edward and a little girl, Abigail. She's about 8 months now."

"Yes I remember her pregnancy. I got hired at the very tail end of it. She would come into my office then, way before I was the senior undersecretary because I had the most comfortable chairs in the ministry." Hermione laughed, putting more bottles on the table. "It's such a small world."

"Indeed. Well that makes this easier."

"What does?"

"My sister is very particular about my significant others. So if this becomes something, then that will make it so much easier, now that she already likes you."

"So if you're 40, how old is she?"

"She's 35. Why do you ask?"

"Just trying to figure out the order of Snapes."

Severus laughed and sold a few more potions. "Are you that curious about me?"

"You are a book I have not read, Severus. And I fully intend to, as soon as possible."

 _ **Whooo, chapter 8 is finally done. I am so sorry that it took as long as it did. Thank you for your continued support!"**_


	9. Chapter 9: Extra extra read all about it

**The response I got was overwhelming. Thank you all so much! I am sorry that the updates have been slow going. I recently got a new job and I've been so crazy running from place to place. I would like to thank everyone who sent me a message asking about the story. They kept me motivated to keep writing.**

 **Also, as a reminder, Hermione is nearly 6 months out of university at this point. Severus is 40. The year is 2000. I also realized that I never specifically said what month this all started in. Looking back in my notes from when I started this story, everything was to start in May. This means that it is now mid July.**

Hermione stood in front of the mirror, smoothing her long gown with a wave of her wand. It was the closing night of the conference, and they were having another large dance type event. Severus had told them that there would be awards handed out at the end for the potions presented at the conference. Even patients were up for awards, and Hermione was looking forward to seeing if she and Severus had placed.

Britney came out of the bathroom, her own dress on, but unzipped. "Damn, Hermione. Do you want Severus to drop dead?"

"What do you mean?" She looked down at her dress. It was a strapless mermaid cut gown, in an emerald green. Her hair was curled, once more, and she had pinned it up out of the way.

"Hermione, you look great and he has a thing for you, which I called." Britney waved her wand and the zipper of her silver gown closed around her, encasing her in tight fabric. "He's going to take you right in the hotel hallway." She fell into a pit of giggles, landing on her bed, trying to catch her breath.

"You're awful!" Hermione slipped her feet into her heels and grabbed her clutch. "Let's go. Get your shoes on or we're going to be late."

Britney, still laughing, put her heels on as well, and they went across the hall to the men. This time, Severus opened the door, and his eyes raked Hermione up and down before he shook his head and stepped back to let them inside the room.

"Hello girls" Guðnason came out of the bathroom, downing one of the vials for his cancer. "Don't you both look stunning!" He sat heavily on the bed to put his shoes on.

"Thank you Master Guðnason." Hermione smoothed her dress and turned her head slightly to catch Severus staring at her once more. As the Icelandic man was readying himself, Severus took Hermione by the arm and excused the pair, telling the two in the room that they would wait for them at the train station.

Hermione wrapped her arm around Severus', her hand coming to rest on his forearm. "So why couldn't we wait with the other two before heading to the train station?"

"Well, I wanted to ask you…. That is, if you want to," he cleared his throat. "If, when we got back, if you wanted to, maybe, go to diner with me."

Hermione laughed and laid her head on his shoulder. "I would love that. But you could have just asked me in the room."

"I don't think I would have been able to with the others in the room." He shook his head. "It was hard enough asking you alone."

"Maybe you should have slipped a note under my door?" Hermione joked, lifting her head as they walked out of the hotel. "That would have been very sneaky."

"Ha-ha. You know I haven't had any experience with this. I just want to do it right and not muck it up."

Hermione smiled, a little sadly at first, before she leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "I doubt you could have mucked up asking me to dinner. After all, we've had many meals together before."

"We had meals in my kitchen, Hermione."

"And that's wonderful, because I know you can cook and take care of yourself. Ronald refused to cook or do laundry. His mother used to tell me to not do anything for him, so he would get the hint, but you know me…"

"You have a large heart, Hermione. You care about everyone and everything. I can't fault you for that. Now, I can tell you that I can cook for myself. I can do my own laundry, and clean my own house, and work for a living. I have been doing so since I was 9." He shook his head. "However, what I thought would give you pause is the age difference. You deserve to be with someone young and full of life. I am bitter and old and- "

Hermione put one finger on his lips. "Hush. I want to be with you because you can take care of yourself and you're smart and driven. I want to be with you and only you." She removed her finger from his mouth.

He smiled a little, patting her hand a little. "I find that surprising every day."

Hermione beamed at him, before fluffing out the bottom of her dress, which caught on the sidewalk as they walked to the train station, which was down the street from their hotel. "So, do you have any big projects planned for after we return to England?"

"The addiction potion we talked about is on the top of the list. I've received several letters about it from apothecaries throughout the U.K. Then I want to focus on developing an elixir for children's fevers because for some reason there isn't a good version of the fever reliever. Parents have just been watering down the potion before giving them to their kids."

"That doesn't seem too smart." Hermione furrowed her brow and shook her head.

"No it doesn't. We were giving half doses at Hogwarts until everyone was the age of 13, but even that is a gamble."

"So no one has ever tried to make a potion for children?"

"No, not ever."

"Well that just seems to be wasteful. If anything, there should be a whole line of potions for children." She shook her head and then lit up. "Severus! There should be a line of potions for children!"

"That's not an awful idea." Severus rubbed his chin in thought. "Parents would buy that up as quickly as we could make them." He nodded. "I know my mother would have bought them for my sister and I. Hell, my sister would love them for her kids. I've been the one to mix their potions and bring them to her when they are sick. She's not a potions head like I am. Like you are, you know? There was always a fear for me that I was doing something wrong, the fear that I was going to poison them, or that the dosage won't be enough."

Hermione nodded and she smiled, amazed that Severus was being so open with her. She had never thought that he would admit his fears to her, especially knowing that she herself knew his sister and his nephews and niece. It wasn't like she had no idea who the family was, so knowing her and the children had to be a difficult hurdle for Severus. Hermione often would tote Lucas around the Ministry, the boy perched on her hip during the lunch breaks. Edward, the eldest at six, would follow behind her, holding her hand, excited to show his mother the snacks Hermione bought for them at the snack stand or the tea biscuits that sat in a tin on Hermione's desk.

Rebecca loved that her children were comfortable with the staff in the ministry and that she could rely on them to help her out every now and again. Sometimes, Edward would camp out in Hermione's office, coloring for Hermione and Rebecca. Hermione's office was littered with all his paintings and coloring pages, to the point where those who were new to the ministry thought she had a son herself.

Severus had no idea that Hermione was that close with his family. He hadn't been to her office since she had moved, since she had to pack up her things and move. Now, her much larger office was covered by a wall of bulletin board, where she pinned up the drawings she received. He didn't see that she was often on the floor in her skirt and heels, playing quidditch matches with Edward, using the little game set he had gotten for Christmas or that she had a sensory pit for Lucas, with sand and toys. There were bubbles for both boys and a small refrigerator with juice and fruit for the children.

The pair made it to the train station, going to stand off to the side to wait for the other two. Severus moved his arm to weave around her back as they stood, and Hermione was quick to notice that. She refused to call attention to it, knowing he might not do it again.

After about ten minutes, Britney and Master Guðnason walked into the station, with him leaning on his cane and clinging to her arm. The pair were smiling but Guðnason looked tired. Severus' brow furrowed, but he didn't say anything about it. Hermione was not sure what to do. She could see that the condition of Guðnason was hurting Severus, but she didn't want to bring attention to it, as she didn't want to make the man next to her upset. She could see there was something wrong, but there was very little that she could do to help now.

Britney held her hand out to Hermione as they passed, giving her hand a squeeze, which made Hermione think there was something desperately wrong. She had a feeling it had a lot to do with Master Guðnason, but there was a part of her that also thought something had happened in the hotel after she and Severus had left. Perhaps it was Britney and Master Guðnason was feeling empathetic for her. Hermione knew that Britney's mother had health problems in the past and something could have happened while they were at the conference. While Britney had been in Iceland, Hermione had taken over the task of taking care of her, making sure she had groceries and her medication. Hermione was not sure what was wrong with Mrs. Mitchel, but she was weak and frail. She had a strong spirit and at 45, there was no reason for her not to be in good health. Britney had not looked like she was in good spirits, but if something had happened to Mrs. Mitchel, she would not be.

Britney and Guðnason went ahead of Severus and Hermione, who trailed behind, each concerned by the behavior that was shown to them.

"Severus, are you alright?" Hermione whispered to Severus, who was looking at the back of the older man.

"I think Þórarinn might be hiding the nature of his cancer. He's tired today, and he hasn't been tired this entire trip. I have a feeling that he hasn't been taking his potions, or that they haven't been working as well as they could. I know his wife has his will, in case he dies on this trip. They, his family, are very nervous for him."

Hermione nodded in understanding. "That's no good. I thought it had to do with Britney's mother. She's been ill since I met Britney and we're always worried she's going to take a turn for the worst when we aren't there."

Severus looked at the two, as they bought the four of them tickets. "I have no idea. But I do know that I will be questioning him when we get back."

*S*S*

Hermione was seated next to Severus and Britney, the latter refusing to release Hermione's hand under the table. She was used to this, however. In school, when things got bad for either one, they sought comfort with the other in this way, to show support without drawing attention to the other.

Prime rib was served to the guests and wine was poured. Hermione had never drunk so much in one week in her entire life, but here she was, indulging every single night. Severus was sitting particularly close to her, but not close enough for others to notice, only Þórarinn And Britney if they were looking closely enough. Hermione was just thankful that the distasteful young man from the first night was not at their table, nor were his friends. Tonight, they dined with Masters' Conifer and Sheppard, two cousins who opened an apothecary together 12 years before.

"All I'm saying, Severus, is that we should be partners. We stock our shelves with your product, and you take 40% of the profit." Wyatt Sheppard waved an asparagus spear on his fork in the air as he talked.

"And I am saying that I need to look at my clientele list and get back to you. We already have St. Mungo's on our list as well as four other private businesses. Adding a fifth might not be beneficial to us at Prince Potions." Severus cut into his meat, cubing the beef with surgical precision.

"What's one more client?" Sheppard shrugged. "You've already proven to be the best in the business, and we want the best. We want to promise our customers quality potions and our other dealers aren't up to snuff."

"With all due respect," Hermione interjected. "We are only staffed with two people, Severus and myself. One more client means more back orders and St. Mungo's is the priority for us. We would need to hire someone new and new good employees are hard to come by."

"If I may be so bold," a familiar voice drifted over to them from the next table. "I have a student who is graduating in two weeks, with a full master's in potions. I could send her your way, perhaps?"

Hermione and Severus wheeled around in their chairs to see Professor Nickleson seated behind them.

"Professor!" Hermione got up to hug the man. "How are you?"

"As well as an old man can be. So what say you? I can send Vanessa to you two on Friday of next week? I also have a young man, Benjamin who needs work as well. They both are quite gifted."

Severus thought for a moment and nodded. "Sounds alright. So, tomorrow is Saturday. We get back around 12. Send us a letter on Monday with their resume and credentials so we can look them over. A week from today, we can meet with them around 1. Tell them to wear business casual clothing and to bring a sample of their work."

The older man nodded and reached out to shake Severus' hand as Hermione went back to her seat. "I'll make sure they do. Thank you for giving them this chance, Severus."

"Of course, of course." Severus turned back to the table and looked at Sheppard. "Perhaps you will hear from us then." He returned to his meal, allowing his leg to brush against Hermione's.

"Thank you for the consideration. But if we had known how understaffed you were… we wouldn't have even asked." Wyatt apologized, a little red in the face. "We can all understand how stressful running a business is, right lads?" He addressed the table. "Excuse me, and ladies."

Hermione and Britney nodded, squeezing their hands once more.

*S*S*

After dinner was cleared away, the band came out, playing a lively tune. Severus wiped his mouth cleaned and stood, holding his hand out to Hermione. "If you'll excuse us," he took her hand and led her to the dance floor, twirling her around before assuming a waltz position.

"May I be the thousandth person to tell you how beautiful you look tonight?" He said as they glided around the polished floor.

"Oh stop it." She blushed, nevertheless.

"Its true, my dear. Though, I will admit that I am surprised to see Slytherin green on the perfect example of a Gryffindor. They're going to take away your credentials."

"Ha-ha, Severus." She rolled her eyes. As Severus twirled her round the floor, her skirt fanned out, brushing the floor around them.

He pulled her close, closer than the other couples around them were dancing, but she found she hardly minded. It was a shock to her that he was being so open about his feelings. From what she had heard from his sister, he had a few relationships that hadn't gone very far, and she was not sure how she felt about that. On one hand, she felt that it was a good thing, as there would be very little that he would expect. On the other hand, he had very little experience and there would be very little experience and therefore he would have a lot of nerves around the relationship.

She didn't want to feel like she had to walk on eggshells, and she didn't think she would, but the two were both going to have to feel out the relationship. For her, he had no real romantic relationships in his life and for him, there would be the fear of distrust after what had happened with Ron. If this would become a real and healthy relationship, they would have to sit and talk about what they wanted from the other.

She pulled herself from the sour mood she was putting herself in and forced herself to focus on the moment. Right now, this was the moment that needed to be focused on, and she would be damned if she would ruin it. Right now, she would focus on the man who was spinning her around a dance floor in a foreign country, one she had never been in before. The man who had pulled her out of depression, the one who helped her fund her life, the one who made sure that she had a good job. She didn't know how much longer they would be in each other's lives, but she would be damned if she let it go without a fight.

Severus was feeling the same way. He hadn't been in a long-term relationship and while that was scary enough, he was fearful that he would turn out like his father. He didn't think he would have the heart to ever cheat on the beautiful woman in his arms, but what if he lost his temper? Would he lose control? Would he hit her? What if he was so angry, he hit her and had no clue? He had raised his voice at his nephews before and that scared him enough. Would he turn out like Tobias?

"Hey, are you alright?" Hermione rubbed his shoulder a little to get his attention.

"Of course. Why would I not be?" Severus pulled himself from his musings to focus on her entirely.

"Well, for starters, you're gripping me a little too tightly." She patted the hand that was on her waist, as his fingers were digging into the soft skin.

"Oh Merlin, I'm so sorry!" He instantly relaxed his grip. "I didn't realize. I was just a little too lost in thought."

"I am too tonight."

"Knut for your thoughts?"

"Isn't it supposed to be a penny? It is an American phrase, is it not?"

"It is an American phrase; however they don't use pennies in Wizarding America." He quickly dipped her before she could protest.

"Severus!" Hermione's face was red when he brought her upright once more.

"What?" He kept an innocent face, but his eyes were light.

Too soon for Hermione's liking, the waltz was over, and although she knew he would no do more, she could not help but be disappointed when Severus raised both her hands to his lips and kissed her knuckles. The pair went back to the table where Britney grabbed Hermione and dragged her to the bathroom.

"Okay, you are so lucky, alright?"

Hermione raised her eyebrow. "I'll bite. Why am I lucky?"

"Hermione, Severus is such a catch! He only had eyes for you, even though a lot of women here have been eating him like a piece of meat. He's the most famous potions master at this conference. He's the youngest with the most patients and credentials and he has all that fame from being a spy for the light for nearly 20 years. You are the most eligible bachelorette in the Wizarding World at the current moment, though the press doesn't know that yet. But I think that's going to change pretty soon."

Hermione frowned. "Why is that going to change?"

"The Daily Prophet is here taking photos. And I think they took pictures of you and Severus. Good news is, Rita Skeeter no longer works for the paper, so it won't be a biased article."

"Still, I have to warn Severus."

"They're going to interview everyone here 'Mione. You'll be able to explain your side as they pull you aside. They already interviewed Master Guðnason and myself. I think you and Severus are next."

True to Britney's words, when the girls came put of the bathroom, a reporter was waiting for her with Severus.

"Hello, Master Granger. I'm Grady Bly and I'm a reporter for the Daily Prophet. We're doing a spread on the conference and I would like to ask you and Master Snape here a few questions, if that's alright."

"Yes, of course." She followed the two men and the photographer into a smaller antechamber where they had already set up lights and a few chairs.

"Please, have a seat."

Hermione and Severus sat next to each other on one side of the table while Grady set up on the other. "So I have a set of questions I'm asking everyone, and then I have a few tailored for each of you. So, if you two are ready we can begin.

Severus nodded, and with that, the reporter began. "So Master Snape, it is common knowledge that you worked at Hogwarts, but we don't know what prompted you to start your own business. As far as we all know, you have had no prior knowledge about how to run a business, but not 5 years into the life of Prince Potions and you're already hold the title of the 'Most profitable business in the Wizarding World.' How did you accomplish this?"

Severus leaned back in his chair and places his fingertips together. "I have worked with small business before. I held a job from the age of about 10 to the time I left Hogwarts. Once I reached 14, I was working in the office, manning payroll and aiding with the payment of orders and bills. When I opened Prince Potions, my ex-boss returned the favor and helped me keep the place afloat for the first year."

A quick quotes quill jotted down everything that was being said, and Hermione noticed it wasn't the same acid green that Skeeter was famous for using. This was a bright blue and was low enough that the pair could read everything that was being scribed.

"Now, Hermione, you and Master Snape were not close during your school years, being teacher and student. How did you find the job? How has your relationship changed since your school days?"

"Well, for starters, I saw the want ad on the bulletin board that Flourish and Blotts has in the back near the Potions books. So, I took a chance. Many potions internships don't offer pay and this one did. About two weeks after applying, I got the job. I would say we weren't too fond of each other in the beginning, but after the month-long trial, we have developed a friendship that I wouldn't be able to imagine six months ago."

"Have you advanced at all in your time there?"

Hermione looked at Severus, not sure if she should announce the official partnership before she signed paperwork.

"I have offered Hermione an official partnership with Price Potions, splitting the company 50/50."

"Really?" Grady raised his eyebrows a little and nodded. "Congratulations. That's quite the accomplishment." He flipped through his papers. "Now Hermione, we have noticed that you and Master Snape have been spending a lot of time together, particularly at the dances. There have been rumors of a split from you and Ron Weasley. Is this true?"

Hermione sighed. "Yes. Ron and I have decided to break up. He is currently dating Lavender Brown."

"Are you seeing Master Snape now? How long have you been split from Ronald?"

"Severus and I are coworkers currently. Ron and I have only been apart for a about a month. I think that's a little soon to jump into a new relationship."

"There have been rumors of unfaithfulness in your relationship that you had with Ron. Would you like to elaborate on those?"

She looked at Severus for help. He looked at the reporter and nodded. "Ronald and Miss Brown were seeing each other the last 6 or so months of his relationship with Hermione. However, we do not wish for the boy to get hate mail or threats of any kind."

Hermione nodded furiously. "I think Ron and I rushed into a relationship because it was sort of expected of us. Harry and Ginny were together, and it seemed that Ron and I should as well. Yes, I did love him. Yes, I have love for him now. I'm hurt by his actions and confused but I hold no ill will for him. But I do not think or see any hope of reconciliation in the future for either one of us. I don't want that, truth be told. I think the relationship ran its course and it's done. I wish him and Lavender the very best, and I hope they have a good life together. At the end of the day, Ron, Harry and myself will always be best friends no matter how stupid we act toward each other. We've been through too much to abandon each other now."

*S*S*

Hermione tossed her luggage onto the floor of her living room, Saturday morning, yawning as she moved to the couch. Crookshanks jumped up next to her, purring like mad as she scratched his ears. "You miss me, Crooks?"

She was considering making herself a cup of tea when the mail came into her home, the latest Daily Prophet in the owl's beak. She gave the creature a treat from the table and flipped to the spread about the conference. Smack in the middle was a large photo of her and Severus. They seemed to have been watching them for a while and they got the moment he dipped her on film. She smiled and moved to the article, glossing over the interviews that weren't her's and Severus'.

 _Finally, after 10 years of waiting, Master Severus Snape of Cokesworth has granted the Daily Prophet permission for an interview. The man who has evaded fame for years bears it all, at least for him anyways._

 _Currently, the owner of Prince Potions has been working with 4 private companies and the hospital St. Mungo's, which is no shock to anyone. He also has been providing Hogwarts with their trickier potions for many years, and for the last 5, has not asked for any sort of recognition._

 _Prince Potions opened its doors November 8_ _th_ _, 1995, the year we all remember as the year You-Know-Who returned. During its first year, Master Snape revealed that he received aid from his first boss, who's name the man would not reveal._

" _I have worked with small business before. I held a job from the age of about 10 to the time I left Hogwarts. Once I reached 14, I was working in the office, manning payroll and aiding with the payment of orders and bills. When I opened Prince Potions, my ex-boss returned the favor and helped me keep the place afloat for the first year."_

 _Master Snape also has taken a new apprentice, none other than 1/3 of the Golden trio, Hermione Jean Granger. Master Granger has received much criticism for refusing interviews as well, not choosing to speak of the war she valiantly fought alongside her fellow students._

 _Granger broke her silence of the war for the first time since 1998, stating,_

" _Of course it was hard. We were running from Snatchers, Death Eaters and Voldemort. Harry was public enemy number 1 and Ron and I weren't far behind. Death was everywhere. We had no contact with family or our other friends. There was no way to know if they were alive or dead. It was the hardest thing I've ever encountered in my life."_

 _She went on to say:_

" _At one point, Ron left, and we couldn't even go after him. That feeling of dread and loss followed us [Mr. Harry Potter and Granger herself] for 6 weeks. It was almost more torturous than the actual torture we faced. When you love someone that much, and you can't save them, or know if you successfully hid them, that's the true cruciatus. Because you're helpless."_

 _On a more positive note, Snape revealed that he has officially taken on a partner for the business for the first time. It was no surprise when he announced Granger as the partner in question. There is alleged talk of new hires being interviewed for the company, but only time will tell._

 _On the topic of love lives, with the lack of new photos of Granger and rumored ex-boyfriend Ronald Billious Weasley, the silence has also been broken._

" _Ron and I have decided to split." Hermione said. "I think Ron and I rushed into a relationship because it was sort of expected of us. Harry and Ginny were together, and it seemed that Ron and I should as well. Yes, I did love him. Yes, I have love for him now. I'm hurt by his actions and confused but I hold no ill will for him. But I do not think or see any hope of reconciliation in the future for either one of us."_

 _The reason for said break up? Master Snape cleared it all. "Ronald and Miss Brown were seeing each other the last 6 or so months of his relationship with Hermione."_

 _Both Snape and Granger would like to make it known that no ill will is held for Mr. Weasley or Miss. Brown. Miss Brown, being Lavender Brown, who Ronald Weasley had previously dated during their sixth year at Hogwarts._

 _Granger wrapped up her statement on the matter as follows. "I wish him and Lavender the very best, and I hope they have a good life together. At the end of the day, Ron, Harry and myself will always be best friends no matter how stupid we act toward each other. We've been through too much to abandon each other now."_

 _Both Masters Snape and Granger would like to make it known they are currently not dating but are open to the possibility in the future._

"When did we say that last bit?" Hermione glared at the newsprint. The article had been quite good, up until that point. It wasn't false but she never said it to that reporter. As she tried to remember, her fireplace roared to life and a small child ran into her legs.

"Auntie 'Mione!"

Hermione looked at the raven-haired boy and stood, hoisting him onto her hip. "Lucas Ryan what are you doing here? Where is your mummy?"

"Right here and wanting to ask you about the article in the Prophet." Rebecca came into the living room, Edward clinging to her hand and a car seat with Abigail in the other.

"You and me both." She led the group to the kitchen where she waved her wand, summoning a booster seat and high chair for the two younger children. "Have you eaten lunch today?"

"No we were planning on going out for lunch." Rebecca pulled her daughter out of the car seat and into the high chair. "We can always make this a quick visit and you can come with us if you like.

"Oh, go on without me. I'm wiped from the trip."

"Nonsense. We can order in." Rebecca went to Hermione's kitchen phone and called the local Chinese restaurant. When Hermione tried to pull out her wallet, Rebecca waved her away. "This is my treat."

30 minutes later, two large bags of food were on Hermione's kitchen counter, and the younger woman was pulling out her set of children's dishes.

"When did you buy these?"

"When your son first came to my office and I had no dishes for him to eat from. I have this set with the cartoon dragons for here and I have a set with wands for my office. They both have matching cups and utensils. I also got the booster seat and the high chair for the same reason. They just live in the closet until the kids are here. The plates and cups have their own cabinet, so I don't use them as cat plates."

"Ehhhh, what's a little cat food. My kids have eaten dirt before." Rebecca put some chicken on her sons' plates and cut it into manageable portions. A little fried rice for Lucas to try and a full spoonful for Edward. Hermione had rice cereal for the baby and put a little in a cup for Rebecca to portion out.

Once everyone was seated, the children served with juice for Edward and milk for Lucas, Rebecca gave her younger friend a look.

"Alright, what's this business of you seeing my brother?"

"Nothing, right now. I have feelings for him, but we aren't together. It's too soon after Ron."

Rebecca nodded, taking a bite of rice. "Does he have feelings for you?"

"Yes. We talked about it on the trip. We need to get the company affairs in order first, get new people hired and such, then we can worry about us. He wants to do this properly."

"That's very much like my brother." She tucked her long black hair behind her ear. "Our upbringing wasn't the best. Our father was abusive and a cheater, all I'm sure he told you already. Right before my father kicked me out for a few months, he beat my mother so badly she nearly died. I was 6. Severus was about to go to Hogwarts."

"Where did you live?"

"My old neighbor, Mrs. Beetwell. She took care of me for 8 months." Rebecca smiled fondly. "Her and her husband were God sent. Often, she left out food for Severus and myself in the winter. We used to scavenge for food, but in the winter, it's so hard to find food. I owe her my life."

"Severus mentioned to me a few weeks ago that your father left when he was 12. He didn't mention you though."

"I'm not surprised. I left the house around the same time, I was around 7. My mother's sister took me in after I contacted her. I didn't reach out to them again until I was 16. It was easier for my mother to just look after one kid." She looked out Hermione's kitchen window. "I regret it now, but we can't go back in time."

"We all have done things we regret." Hermione patted her hand and places another spear rib on the 6 year old's plate as he reached for one. Hermione herself started eating her own meal, grateful for the woman bringing an afternoon out to her.

"I have been feeding him too, you know." Hermione laughed with Rebecca. "I make so much food and freeze it. I've just been bringing him food so he doesn't have to think about dinner. It just needs to be reheated.'

"You're too good to him."

As the group continued to chat and eat, the floo activated once more, and Severus stepped out into the living room.

"Hermione? Are you home?" He rounded the corner into the kitchen and pulled up short at the sight of his sister and romantic interest having lunch with his nephews at the table as well. He then looked at the high chair next to Rebecca, trying to recall the one she had at her own home.

"Becca, why are you here?"

"The Prophet, Sev. Did you read the last line?"

"Yes, I did. I should know what it said. I told them that before we left." He came onto the room fully and conjured a chair for himself. He wedged the chair next to Hermione and Lucas, ruffling the boy's hair as he sat.

"Uncle Severus!" Edward cried, getting rice on the table as he cheered.

"Hey buddy." Severus started as a plate landed in front of him with a tall mug of tea. "Hermione, I'm not hungry."

"I don't care. Eat." She doled a big spoonful of rice onto his plate, adding an eggroll and shrimp, along with a small cup of sauce on the side.

"You're so bossy."

"And you are unbelievable. We completely outed Ron as a cheater and then you say, 'oh we're going to be dating soon so it's alright.' I know Ron is going to see it. I know he's going to start so much drama in the press. I'm going to be dragged through the mud because of this."

"And if that happens, we will take care of it." He took her hand over the table and gave it a squeeze.

"Auntie 'Mione? Can I have more chicken please?"

"Auntie 'Mione?" Severus raised an eyebrow. "Since when have you been that to my nephews?"

"since I started working, I think. You should see my office now. It's covered in drawings."

"What? Why don't I have drawings for my office?" Severus looked at both of the kids at the table.

"We didn't know you wanted any, Uncle Severus." Edward took a large bite of noodles.

"I always want drawings for my office. I'll never say no."

Hermione and Rebecca looked at each other with a smile.

 **So I am so sorry for the long wait! This chapter didn't end the way that I originally thought, but its okay. I have recently gotten word on my phone so I can finish these chapters a little faster.**


	10. Chapter 10 Born naked & the rest is drag

**I'm going to try to keep these chapters rolling out. I want to get to the good stuff in the story and I'm sorry if it seems like it's taking too long. I didn't know when I started to write the story that it was going to become a slow burn type of story, but here we are. Thank you to all those who commented, liked and favorited! You all make my day so bright! Also, I want to warn everyone ahead of time. I am working on my thesis to graduate with my undergrad this year, and I am going to write as much as I can when I have time. This is the longest academic paper I have ever written in my career thus far and its going to take up a lot of time and energy, so please bear with me and we will get through this. I will have more time to write in May after the school year is over. Also, in March, I am going to the Dominican Republic, so there will be no update for the second and third week of March.**

 **UPDATE: As of 2/7/19, my primary computer is dead. I am trying to get a permanent replacement but for the time being, I have my boyfriend's spare. I am trying to get mine fixed, but I am not sure how that's going to go. If this chapter is not finished before I get a fixed or new computer, there will be a note at the end of the chapter.**

 **UPDATE: 2/8/19 I sent the computer out and the partial chapter I had for chapter 11 is gone I don't think I can get it back, so chapter 11 will take a little longer to get out, but such is life. For those who have HP computers, be careful with the new windows update. Several of my friends' computers are crashing and we think it has to do with the update.**

 **LAST UPDATE: 2/19/19 I FINALLY got my computer back! For some reason, the motherboard died and I got it back last night (2/18/19). I managed to recover my files, so I should have chapter 11 done sooner rather than later.**

 **DISCLAIMER: There is mention of homophobia and homophobic hate crimes. If that is triggering, please skip it. I don't want to cause any hurt feelings or anything like that. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, i feel like it is important to bring these types of issues up. The section they are mentioned is small. I'm sorry if that is triggering to anyone, but thank you for understanding.**

The three adults moved into the living room after lunch was finished, the boys trailing behind with their coloring books and toys. Abigail was put on the floor, a mat enlarged from Rebecca's bag for her to play on. Hermione set the dishes to wash in the kitchen by themselves and she filled the boys' cups with juice once more before sitting on the couch next to Severus.

So, I'm surprised you're being so open with the end of your relationship with a certain piece of s-h-i-t." Rebecca moved a stuffed ball closer to her daughter.

"Why not? It's going to get out anyways." Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "Ron isn't exactly hiding it from the public and I don't feel the need to pretend that everything is perfectly fine with him and I any longer. It's over and done with and now everyone knows."

"Well you have more self love than I ever did." The older woman laughed and picked up her glass of water. "I'm proud of you, Hermione. You did good for yourself. I'm so glad I got to watch you rise through the ranks at the ministry and now, I get to see you excel in the potions world too. I wish I could have made a fool of myself at your graduation though. I certainly did at my brother's."

"And I'm sure that Mr. Potter and the Weasleys will all feel the same way. You are doing what's best for you and if they cannot handle that, then they need to get over it. It's not their life." Severus took Hermione's hand and intertwined their fingers, ignoring his sister as much as he could.

"Thank you both very much. I just know this whole thing is going to blow up in my face. Ron has been saying for nearly two months that Severus and I were going to end up together and now it's been released to the press that we most likely will be dating sometime in the near future. Ron is going to go absolutely nuts."

"And so what if he does? He can't get here because of the wards we set, there is no reason for him to come here anyways as you gave him all his things back." He gave her hand a squeeze. "I wouldn't worry about it."

Just as he finished talking, a loud alarm sounded in the apartment, startling the children.

"What the bloody fuck is that?" Rebecca cursed, trying to calm down the children.

"The alarm system I set in place!" Her older brother shouted above the noise. "I think Mr. Weasley is trying to get through!"

Hermione turned to Severus, who picked up Lucas and rocked him in his arms.

"Hush, the noise will stop soon."

After a few more moments, the alarm stopped and the little boys tears ended.

"Why is that alarm so loud?" Rebecca wiped Edward's face free of tears and put Abigail's pacifier back in her mouth. "It seems like overkill."

"I wanted Hermione to be able to hear it no matter where she was. You can never be too careful."

As Severus put Lucas down on the floor and everyone relaxed, there was a loud banging on the apartment door. Hermione, figuring it was one of the other tenants who heard the alarm, seeing as her apartment was in a Wizarding complex, stood to look to see who it was. She peered through the peephole, recoiling as Ronald Weasley's livid face was staring into her door.

"Hermione, I know you're in there!" His angry voice floated under the door, muffled by the wood in volume only, his anger palpable by the young witch. "Open the fucking door!"

Hermione turned around in horror, staring at the two other adults in the room who reacted swiftly. Severus grabbed both walking children and deposited them into Hermione's bedroom, before carrying the little girl on the floor into the room as well. Rebecca gathered the toys with a wave of her wand, sending them into the closet in the hall, before going into the bedroom herself.

Hermione stood shocked and unresponsive as Severus was standing in front of her speaking. She snapped out of her stupor when Severus threw her over one shoulder and carried her into the kitchen.

"Hermione listen to me. I'm going to ward you in this room. He will be able to see you, but will not be able to get in. I am going to silence the door to your bedroom to protect my sister and the children. Do not, for any reason, leave this chair until I tell you otherwise, alright?"

"Yes of course." She wrung her hands nervously, looking toward the living room, to the door she couldn't see from her perch in the kitchen. "Wait, Crookshanks!"

"Already in the bedroom. I saw him on the bed when I brought the boys in." He pressed a kiss to her hairline and stepped away quickly. "I won't let him hurt anyone here."

She nodded and watched him glide away. The door opened and she heard the younger man storm into the house.

"Where the fuck is she?"

"Mr. Weasley-"

"NO, WHERE THE FUCK IS SHE?" Ron exploded, knocking over something heavy in the living room.

"Stop behaving like a child, Mr. Weasley. What is the issue?"

"What's the issue? YOU AND THE FACT YOU'RE FUCKING MY GIRLFRIEND!"

"Excuse me? You left her for that bimbo, Lavender Brown. You made a choice. Now, she and I are not 'fucking' as you so eloquently called it. Currently we are no more than business partners." Severus put something down on the living room side table. "You should leave."

"I'm not leaving until I see her!" Ron must have pushed Severus, because the man stumbled back into her line of sight, clearly off balance. He reached out again, this time pushing Severus to the ground. As he stepped forward, he saw Hermione in the kitchen, her hands clasped to her mouth.

"Hermione, come out her now!" He pointed to the ground next to his feet.

Hermione was shaken from her frozen state, and she blinked a few times. "Excuse me? I'm not a dog, Ronald. I do not come to you on command." She saw Severus standing up from the floor. "And furthermore, I wouldn't leave this room to come anywhere near you, seeing how violent you're being."

"You're my fucking girlfriend, Hermione. Start acting like it!"

"So I should act like Lavender?" Hermione laughed. "Yes, I'm going to give up a career and my life to lay on my back with my legs in the air so you can get the kids you want. That was never going to happen, Ron. I know you were poking holes in the condoms. I know you were adding sugar to my birth control potions, making them useless. So I got a muggle contraception rod implanted in my arm." She raised her left arm and pointed to her bicep. "Remember that big bandage I had? The one I told you was from a burn from school? It was birth control even you couldn't tamper with. I haven't ovulated in two years, so I couldn't get pregnant. And that's beside the point. We broke up. I don't ever want to be your girlfriend or anything like that ever again!" She smirked at his dumbfounded face.

"Shut up! You knew? You knew about the birth control? And you never said anything?"

"No. I knew you wanted kids. You didn't listen to me when I said I didn't." She pulled out the copy of the Daily Prophet. "I meant it when I said it felt like we were supposed to be in a relationship because it was expected. I knew what was going to happen. So I took every measure to prevent it."

Ron tried to get into the kitchen, but the wards threw him back into the couch.

"And to think, I still wanted to marry you. I was so fucking stupid! I would have wasted the best years of my life on a scumbag like you!" She threw a wooden spoon at his head, the utensil flew through the wards, but missed his face. "I defended you over and over to my family and friends! I told them you weren't what they thought you were! Now I get to go back to them and let them know how stupid I was!"

"It can go back to the way things were, I promise!"

"No! No they can't!" Hermione threw her hands in the air. "Even if we got back together, how the fuck am I supposed to trust you?" She shook her head. "I can't. What if you had gotten Lavender pregnant before I found out you were cheating? That would have been a great bloody laugh, wouldn't it have been? 'Oh Hermione, by the way, Lavender's pregnant and I'm the father'. Yes, that would have gone great." She sat back down at the table.

"Hermione, babe, we can work this out. I'll never talk to Lavender again. I promise."

"No. No, Ronald. Get out of my house."

"What?"

"I said, get the fuck out of my house!"

Severus stepped into the red-haired man's line of vision. "Come, Mr. Weasley, it's time to leave."

"Fuck you." Ron tried to push him again, but the older man caught his hands and held his wrists.

"No, Mr. Weasley," Severus started to lead him to the door, seeming to be at ease with the struggling man. "You have caused more than enough emotional damage today."

"I don't care what you think," Ron stumbled as Severus pushed him toward the door. "I want to speak with Hermione."

"She obviously has nothing else to say to you." Severus finally wrestled him out the door and managed to shut and lock it behind the man.

Hermione herself was seated on the floor, holding her knees to her chest, tears sliding down her face. She was hurt and seeing Ron, having Ron demand her back was painful to live out. She had loved him for a long time, and now, knowing what he had put her through, she was having a hard time dealing with the pain he was causing now. She knew he was not worth the trouble and that she would have to put on a cheery face for the boys in the other room, but right now, she was happy to sit on her floor and cry.

She heard Severus close and lock her front door, and the footsteps that came to the kitchen door. "Oh Hermione." Severus came over to her and got on the floor next to her. "It's alright, dear. Shhhh, he's gone." He pulled her into his arms, rocking her back and forth.

"Why did he have to come at all?" She wailed, trying to catch her breath.

"Because he's jealous, Hermione."

She looked up at him, her eyes puffy and red. "Why the fuck would he be jealous of me?"

"Because-" He paused and wiped her eyes with a white handkerchief. "For him, he was the first to leave. He moved on with Lavender and he liked the idea of you waiting for him and pining for him. Now, you and I are spending much more time together than we ever have. We've admitted feelings for each other and made it public, and now he has to make his peace with that."

"Yes, because he's been so good about that."

"I never said he was good about it, just that it was happening." Severus helped her to her feet and to the couch. "Do you need a moment, or can I let to boys out before they destroy all your possessions in your bedroom?"

"Let them out. I'm sure they're dying to raid by biscuit tin."

*S*S*

Ron Weasley stormed into his apartment, kicking over the large umbrella stand that was seated by the door.

"Ronny? Is that you?" his girlfriend's voice drifted in from the living room, and he followed it, finding Lavender curled up on the couch with a book of baby names on her lap.

"Is everything alright?"

"No, everything is not alright." He sat next to her and sighed. "Did you read this morning's prophet?"

"No, not yet. Why?" she took the paper from him as he flipped to a large full color news spread. Her eyes scanned over the article, narrowing as she read the piece about Severus Snape and Hermione Granger. The picture that was the largest on the piece was the photo of Severus dipping the curly haired witch and Lavender threw the paper down.

"What the hell? How dare she announce that without consulting us first!"

Ron nodded. "She doesn't love me but has love for me?" he scoffed. "I bet she's been fucking Snape behind my back since day one."

"Should we release a statement to the prophet?" Lavender picked the paper back up and threw the paper onto the table, as if having it on the couch next to her was too much to bear.

"Saying what?" he got up and moved to pace the room, his arms clasp behind his back.

"This is slander, Ron. She had no right to talk about us to a reporter, and I think it is well within our rights to stand up for ourselves." She returned to her book. "I think if we reach out, we can get someone to come out within the hour and the report can make the Evening Prophet."

"Do you really think this is a good idea? My family is already ready to cut me off completely because of us."

Lavender laughed. "Because you left that boring old bitch Hermione. Even when she and I roomed together, she was so bland. I think you've upgraded, personally. You need to move on and move up! And if your family can't accept that, then they don't care about you. You're happy with me and they should realize that."

"If you'll stand beside me through whatever backlash we get, then yes, I'll do it."

Lavender squealed and threw herself into his arms, her book clattering to the floor. "Now, I have a pregnancy test waiting in the bathroom for us to look at. I have a good feeling about this one."

*S*S*

Severus, Rebecca, and Hermione had migrated to the kitchen while the boys tore around her living room, 'shooting' each other with their toy wands. She was a lot calmer, and with the reassurance from Rebecca and Severus, she was almost back to her normal self.

As she got up to get another cup of tea, her kitchen window popped open and the post owl dropped a rolled-up newspaper onto her lap.

With her tea in hand and the paper in the other, she moved back to the table and unfurled the pages. As she looked down onto the ink and gasped.

"What is it?" Rebecca looked at the girl who had covered her mouth in shock.

She turned the paper around and the front page was a picture of Severus and Hermione at the Potions Conference. The headline blared in bold text

 **Hermione Granger: Faithful Friend or Heartbreaking Harlot?**

She turned it back around and laughed bitterly. "Remember Rita Skeeter?"

"Yes, she was terrible." Rebecca nodded.

"Her assistant has risen thorough the ranks apparently." Hermione flicked the paper straight and started to read.

"Hermione Granger has always kept an image of a good girl, someone who toed the line. But is she as good as she claims? I, Keira Maxwell, am joined by her ex-boyfriend and his girlfriend Lavender Brown as they share intimate details with the Wizarding World about the real life of Hermione Granger.

'Of course I knew Hermione. She and I shared a dorm in Hogwarts. She was always a prissy girl. She thought she was better than all of us. It was frustrating to the rest of the girls in Gryffindor House to watch her. She would make rude comments about our hair and makeup, like she was somehow better than us.' Lavender Brown revealed.

Ronald Weasley, aged 22 nodded. 'She was always a know-it-all. She acted like she was the smartest and the sort of mother of the house. Always nagged us to do homework and things like that. Everything had to be her standards, or they weren't good enough. When Lavender and I started dating for the first time when we were 16, she stopped talking to me. She was so hateful.'

Master Granger as we all know, has been seen with Potions Master Severus Snape at the most recent potions conference. The pair was at every meal, lecture and event together. Could they be good friends or perhaps something more? Weasley seems to think so.

'I'm not saying she's sleeping her way to the top, but I wouldn't put it past her. How else would she have become a partner of Severus Snape's business? He's so personal and closed off. It seems like the only way that would be possible in such a short span of time.'

Brown chimed in here, stating: 'Snape hated her in our time at school. But when we get out of school? She's now a potions mistress and, judging by how she is dressed at the conference, clearly dressing for a man. She never dressed that way for Ron.'

When the pair was asked about their relationship, they were all smiles. 'We met in a coffee shop in Diagon Alley. We were good friends first, about a year ago, I think now, maybe a little sooner. While Hermione was at school, he and I would meet during his lunch breaks and just hang out and get to know each other.

Then, about six months ago, we decided that we didn't want to be 'just friends' any longer. Hermione and I were on the way out it seemed, and Lavender was becoming more than just a friend. After a while, we just fell naturally into place. We recently moved in together and are trying for a baby."

Hermione finished reading the article and put the paper down, rolling her eyes. "I like that he openly admits to cheating on me but doesn't realize why that's a bad thing. Also, I never said one bad thing about Lavender and her makeup."

"But saying you were so nice and friendly doesn't sell papers, dear." Severus took the paper and wadded it up, throwing it into recycling.

"I know we said that we were all going out to dinner, but I don't want you to be put on the spot in public, Hermione." Rebecca pulled her shirt back into place as she finished breastfeeding her daughter.

"I'll be fine. Besides, I've done nothing wrong."

"If you're sure. I know the boys have been looking forward to pasta night all week, but we can always call something in and just do take out." Rebecca burped the babe in her arms before returning her to the carrier.

"Worst case, someone comes up to me and says something. I've dealt with it for a while. I don't regret dating Ron, but if I have known this was going to happen, then I would never have started dating him."

"That's the way of the world." Severus stood and went into the living room to collect the boys. "Put your toys away. We're going to be leaving as soon as you get your shoes and coats on."

"Yeah! Pasta!" The boys ran to the shoe rack and got their sneakers, running into the kitchen for Hermione and Rebecca to help them with their shoes. Hermione picked up Lucas and sat him on the table, quickly and expertly tying his laces.

"You boys ready to go?"

"Yeah!" Lucas latched onto Hermione's neck and the small group went to the fireplace to head to Diagon Alley.

*S*S*

"The boys wanted to come here?" Hermione laughed as they were all seated.

"Yes, why is this an issue?" Rebecca helped her eldest into his seat and the middle one into the booster.

"no, it's just… this is the same restaurant that I found out Ron was cheating on me in and we are seated at the same table. It's just funny to me is all."

The waiter came over and filled glasses with water, pausing when he got to Hermione.

"Ah, Hermione, I hope tonight you are in better spirits?"

"Much better, Charles. I'm sorry you had to deal with my blubbering last time."

"Not at all. We felt awful when we read tonight's evening Prophet in the kitchen. I can't believe that he would admit to cheating. I'm glad my man wouldn't dare be so bold."

"As am I. Daniel wouldn't make it out alive after Britney and I got through with him."

As the man walked away, Severus raised an eyebrow. "Same waiter as last time I see."

"Yes. Charles is a good man. We were in school together and he is the gayest man I know. Britney and I met him and his now boyfriend in our potion's thesis class. We've been really close ever since."

"And he works here? Is he any good at Potions?" Severus twisted and watched him walk into the kitchen.

"He's really good, but no one wanted to hire him after graduation." Hermione shrugged. "Why?"

"I was thinking about hiring others. Mostly for grunt work right now, but I do want to train them in Potions. Would he be offended if I offered him a job?"

"No not at all. He makes about 4 galleons an hour, so anything more would make his day." Hermione took a sip of her water, putting her hand over the bread basket before Edward could take every roll for himself.

"Should I ask him in a straightforward way or should I leave a business card?"

Hermione reached out and swatted his arm. "Severus Snape, don't you dare. Ask him like a normal person and don't be weird about it."

Rebecca laughed and tore up both of her sons' bread, leaving the pieces on the smaller plates that were provided. "I swear, the two of you are something else." She shook her head. "I love you both, but you bicker like an old married couple."

Severus blanched and turned away from his sister, focusing on his hands on the table. Hermione laughed and swatted the older woman's arm.

"Hush Rebecca. Severus doesn't know Charles and that makes it a little strange to go up and ask someone if they want a job. I would be a little weirded out myself."

"Why? A job is a job." Rebecca looked over the menu before her.

"Yes and I am a woman. When I worked at this little café near my school, men would approach me with date and job offers that were empty. They were just trying to, well you know." She glanced her eyes toward the children.

Rebecca nodded, flipping a page of the menu. "That is understandable, dear. But Severus would never take advantage of anyone. Not even in his death eater days, did he do such a thing."

"I never thought that of him. I can only speak of my own experiences, but I know that Charles would love to leave this place, to save money and to no longer work paycheck to paycheck." Hermione put her own menu down, knowing for herself what she wanted.

Severus sat uncomfortably through the entire exchange, either from talk of his good nature or Hermione's praise, she did not know. What Hermione did know, however, was that she wanted to make sure he was understanding of Charles and his feelings. He always wanted to use his degree, and his sexual orientation was always something that held him back. Unfortunately, while the Wizarding World was much more progressive than the Muggle world, there were still any male employers that were not entirely comfortable with the idea of a gay man working with them in close quarters. Severus obviously did not care, but part of Hermione was afraid that Charles would fear either a cruel prank or pity.

When the man came back, Severus moved finally. He reached into his robes and removed a single cardstock rectangle, with the potions business information printed on the front. "So Charles, I hear you are also are a fellow Potions master?"

"Yes, I am." He filled the bread basket once more.

"I'm looking for reliable help as my business is growing faster than I can cope. I would like to see you in my interview schedule for net week." He held the card in two fingers, holding it out for the younger man to take.

"Oh, Master Snape, I couldn't possibly…" He shook his head and wiped a spill of juice from the table from the juice box Lucas has knocked over.

"Why is that? Do you love serving people in a restaurant more than your passion for potions?"

"No, sir… It's just that… I'm gay and most employers don't want someone like me in the labs with them. I don't want to get my hopes up for it to fall through."

Severus chuckled. "I want reliable help. Unless you are a criminal, I don't care who you want to date. As long as that person doesn't get in the way of the work, I don't have an issue. And regardless, you aren't my type."

Charles smirked a little. "Because I'm a man?"

"No, you're a little too short for my liking." He looked at Hermione's shocked face. "What? Did you not know I'm bisexual?"

"He had a thing with Regulus Black during his 6th year at Hogwarts." Rebecca leaned over the table and patted her brother's hand. "They never dated, but everyone thought they were. Mother supported him when he came out and thankfully Father was dead by that time."

"Was he homophobic?" Charles asked, leaning against the next table over.

"The worst kind. If Severus came out when he was alive, we don't know what would have happened. He used to spew such filth about gay people in our neighborhood. For a while, a lesbian couple lived next door to us and he was so cruel to them. It was safer for Severus to stay in the closet."

Charles nodded. "I was in the same position. My parents threw me out when I came out. I put myself through school as a drag queen and that's around the time I met Hermione. Her parents practically adopted me. They're the reason I'm out of debt today."

"Mum and Dad wanted more kids after a while, but the timing wasn't right or later, Mum had a lot of trouble conceiving. Charles and his boyfriend were frequent visitors at the house. When they found out about his parents, they turned the spare room into his drag room and the guest room was his bedroom." Hermione patted his hand. "My parents payed his debt off for his 20th birthday present."

"I owe them so much. Emily, Hermione's mother, taught me to sew and my drag career is starting to take off. It's still a night gig, but it's fun. There aren't so many in the Wizarding World that support drag, but there are a few clubs that will book me."

"Do you think that's going to have an effect on your ability to work for me? I expect you to be there from 9-6 if you get the job, at least for the first month."

"Oh, it will be fine. I frequently work from 9 or so to 2 at night, so it's really a night time thing." He laughed. I have a show on Saturday if you guys want to come."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world. Britney and I already made plans to go." She looked at Severus and Rebecca. "Are you two in?"

"I'll go. Michel can watch the kids."

Severus nodded. "I'll go if you take this damn card, I've been holding out to you for this whole conversation."

Charles plucked the card from his fingers and put it in his wallet. "I'm glad to know at least 4 seats will be filled on Saturday. Now," he took out his pad. "What can I get you folks?"

*S*S*

Saturday night came, and Hermione was nearly ready. She and Britney were regulars at the club, always being there when Charles was performing. He went by the name Violet Sparks, a name inspired by the potion he had worked on throughout school. Every single time he tried to get it right, violet sparks would shoot out and singe his eyebrows off. When he started his drag career at 18, the name just stuck.

The game plan was to meet at Severus' house and to move out from there. Hermione slipped her shoes on and stepped through the floo, coming out into the living room of the Spinner's end residence. She went into the kitchen as Britney came through next, her own steps following the woman into the other room.

"Hey, where's Severus and Rebecca?" Britney had never met Rebecca but was very excited about her and about meeting her. She knew a little bit about her, knowing she had kids and was married to a man named Michael Oswald. Hermione had given her the run down of her relationship with her brother.

"Severus is either upstairs getting ready I would assume or he's in the lab. I just got here." She reached into the liquor cabinet and poured two shots for the two of them.

"Is Severus going to mind that we're drinking his alcohol?"

"He won't mind if you pour a drink for him as well." Severus came into the room and waited for Hermione to pour one for him. While she was doing so, he eyed her as her attention was elsewhere. She was wearing a pair of tight black jeans and high black heels, with a tight flowered top that exposed her midriff.

Britney was wearing something similar, although she was wearing a tight mini skirt and a midriff baring shirt that was bright yellow. Severus knew that by the end of the night, they would be in her hand. He heard his sister come in the door, closing it softly behind her.

"Hey Rebecca," Hermione poured her a shot, handing it to her over Severus' shoulder. "Excited for tonight?"

"Of course, I am. Any night out without my kids and husband is welcome. I love them all dearly, but Lord knows its so taxing." She tossed back the liqueur. She adjusted the skirt of her dress, which was a flowing high low dress with black pumps. "I wish I had gotten the memo that we were wearing tighter clothes, ladies"

"Can you drink and breastfeed?" Severus looked at his sister aghast.

"Yes, Severus I can." She reached for the bottle. "I'll wait till the booze is out of my system and then it's fine. Regardless, I have so much milk pumped for her in my freezer, I could not actually breastfeed her for a month and I would still have milk stored." She laughed and tossed another one back.

"If you're sure." Severus finished his drink and put the glass in the sink. While he was standing with his back turned, Hermione looked him over with hungry eyes. He was wearing a fitted black shirt with more fitted dress pants. He looked wonderful, but Hermione was a little worried that the men in the club were going to hit on him. She just wasn't sure how he was going to take it.

"Well, Rebecca, we wear tighter clothes and shorter skirts because in this club, we are less likely to be catcalled. We don't want to say or do anything insensitive, and we want to make sure that everyone thinks that we aren't going just to sightsee in a gay nightclub. We feel more comfortable, but we go in support of Charles. Usually, he heckles us for our outfit choices and that's perfectly fine. We love it and a lot of queens will ask us where we bought our outfits and if we can make them replicas. It's a great community." Britney took the bottle back and screwed the lid back on.

"At least you girls are aware of that." Severus came back over and wrapped his arm around Hermione's shoulders. "As someone who frequented gay bars in the 80s, that was the one thing that bothered us the most as a community. While we welcomed girls to come over and party, there was a sense of gay tourism. The clubs were seen as safer, but they would come over and stare, which was annoying or the worst is the bachelorette parties that came and got trashed and would make a scene."

"I can't imagine you at a gay bar." Hermione laughed.

"Oh yes, I went to them all the time, specifically in Muggle London. I was in the closet for a long time, so it was liberating. And with the Death Eater meetings, it was nice to go somewhere where I was supported 100%. The Death Eaters had some of the most homophobic people I knew. Often, people who identified as homosexual were killed in the revels that Voldemort held. I had to lie and tell Voldemort it was a phase in my youth. That was the hardest thing for me to do, but I had to in order to survive."

Hermione rubbed his back, looking at his face. He was pained and Hermione had no idea how to help him. He had led such a hard life, and she as learning so much more about him, a side of him that she had never known. As a student of his, during the time she was taught by him, she would never have known that he was bisexual. She would have never known he went to gay bars and she would never have known that the Death Eaters sought to kill everyone like him and like Charles. Hermione herself was not part of the community directly, but she considered herself an ally.

Rebecca moved closer and drew Severus into her arms, forcing him to let go of Hermione. "You've always been so strong, Sev." She kissed his cheek before letting go. "Now, I think we should go before we are late."

Hermione came up and took Severus' hand. Intertwining their fingers. "Charles will probably want to see us before his set."

The four went through the floo one at a time, landing in the lobby of the Magenta Pony. Hermione and Britney led the two others into the back hallway that led to the dressing rooms, knocking on the door that was labeled Violet Sparks.

"Hey bitches!" Charles opened the door, dressed in a bra and having a full face of makeup. He had a half-eaten piece of pizza in his hand with a makeup sponge in the other. "Come on in."

Hermione and Britney led the charge, entering the room while Charles went into the attached closet, ducking behind the changing screen in the room to finish getting ready for his show. Rebecca leaned against the table that housed the boy's makeup and brushes, watching Hermione and Britney who were helping him pick out his outfit for the night.

"Do you girls do this every Saturday?" Rebecca picked up a large powder brush and twirled it in her fingers.

"No, the girls don't come every week, but that's alright. It makes the times they do come more special." Charles came out dressed in a short lavender dress with matching heels. Sitting down at the mirror, the man put a wig cap and fit a blonde wig onto his head, gluing down the edges. "They help me pick out my outfits and we got fabric shopping every now and again. Its fun and we make a day of it."

"We want to come more often but life gets in the way." Britney had kicked her shoes off and was walking around the room barefoot, just as Severus had predicted.

Hermione abandoned her attempts to tidy the room and went to stand next to Severus, wrapping an arm around his trim waist.

"Have I told you how wonderful you look tonight?" Hermione whispered in his ear as the others in the room fussed over Violet's makeup.

"No you haven't." he resumed laying an arm over her shoulders, enjoying the feeling of her warmth beside him. If he had been told years before that he would have feelings for Hermione Granger, he would never have believed it and he would have declared them crazy. He would have personally sent for the mind healers to haul them over to St. Mungo's. Perhaps he would have them set up next to Gilderoy Lockhart.

But somehow he was blessed with the brightest of the golden trio, something that he never imagined. Not just because of his previous thought, but because he was a crass, blunt and sometimes downright rude man and there had never been any single person that had stuck around long enough for him to develop true and strong feelings for them. With Reg, Severus had a feeling that his 'feelings' were simply due to the positive attention he was getting from the younger boy, especially during the first few months after he and Lily had their falling out.

He knew that sooner rather than later he would have to have a talk with her about their relationship, and he figured the next time the two were alone together, they would have to map out expectations and other such things. He was nervous that she would want to back out once he shared with her his insecurities she would want to back out. In his head, he knew he had to get out of this funk he was in. He knew he had to get over the idea that having emotions was a bad thing, but there was a part of him that was more negative than not. After all, in Slytherin House, it was taught to be emotionless, and those who showed any outward emotion that did not conform to their gender was seen as lesser than those who conformed.

But when he had confided in his sister of his conflicting feelings, she had reminded him that he was not in Slytherin House any longer as a student. He was an adult and needed to treat the situation as an adult does. Hermione would not wait forever, she had reminded him and he needed to act before she got frustrated with his inability to feel.

"Are you alright?" Hermione rubbed his side with the flat of her hand, trying to get his attention. "You're squeezing me pretty hard."

Severus blinked and shook his head a little. The group had left, the door swinging shut as if they had just walked out. He looked toward the hand that was on Hermione's shoulder, seeing that he was in fact holding her very tightly.

"Shit, i'm sorry." He relaxed his hand.

"It's alright. Do you need a moment? You seemed pretty lost in thought." She turned to face him fully, wrapping both arms around his waist.

"No, i'm fine. Where did they all go?"

"They just left." She let go and took his hand, leading him out of the room. "We should get in our seats before the show starts."

"Yes…" Severus muttered allowing her to lead him out of the room.

 **So, big thank yous for everyone who stuck with me through the garbage that was the last month. I am not sure if I will be able to get an update out before spring break, but i will try to get it at least halfway done. A little bit of a fluff chapter, but sometimes you need a little bit of filler for your stories. Now, next chapter, a bit of a spoiler: Interviews and the talk Severus should have had with Hermione in the first place about feelings! Also, as I write this, my boss has told me i am up for an interview for possibly a promotion! So good news all around.**

 **I want to extend a big thank you to everyone who likes, reviews, shares, and otherwise interacts with me. I respond to all private messages btw. Some of you have messaged me about updates and special requests. I love every message I get. I love receiving them. If you are worried that it might be weird or I would be angry about getting a message from anyone, don't think that. I get so excited that you all want to tell me anything about my writing or really anything at all!**


	11. Chapter 11: New Hires

**Thank you all so much for the reviews and likes! You all are so wonderful, and I love you all! As of 3-5-19, its 10 days until my trip!**

 **Also, I saw a review that said that I am Mary- sueing this story. It said that I am introducing characters and plot points that aren't relevant. The characters and the personalities that I give them WILL BE RELEVANT I PROMISE. This story is planned to be anywhere from 50-60 chapters, (Though I may cap it around 40). There is no way I can rush the plot I have planned to make the story move faster. These characters were planned WAY ahead of time before I wrote the story. The plot was planned WAY before I sat down to write chapter one. I'm sorry if that isn't what you wanted but everything in this story was deliberate. I do not what to come for anyone, but please keep in mind the note I put in chapter one. This is a story I wrote for me. I love sharing my writing with you all, but at the end of the day, this is the type of Snamione story that I want to read. Also, sometimes I tie in points to my stories from other ones I have written. For example, in the One Shot I wrote called Those Little Stirrings, which you can read on my page, is about an LGBTQ Severus Snape. If you have been with me since the very beginning, you might remember a story called "Underground Hogwarts Student" which was a Labyrinth/Harry Potter crossover I wrote way back in 2013. Charles is based on one of Jareth's advisors under the name Faraday.**

 **I love all of you guys so much and I love all your comments. I'm glad that you all want to take the time to tell me things about errors in my writing or issues you have with the plot. If you truly want spoilers, I can send you my outline document that has all the chapters laid out in what I want to cover in every chapter, along with the character spread sheet I have. This community is very small (the Snamione community) and I don't mean to hurt any feelings. This is the only time I will be posting a note like this. If you want to talk to me about my writing or anything about the plot or any questions at all, my inbox is always open. I answer all messages.**

 **On the topic of Beta readers, I know I have a lot of errors. My word processer doesn't always pick up on all the errors and I do write a lot of my work in the spare moments in my day. If you are interested in being my Beta, PLEASE send me a message. I would love to work with any of you. I apologize for the long authors note, but I had to get all this off my chest.**

Hermione walked into main foyer Monday morning toeing her shoes off as she took off her jacket. She hung her bag and jacket on the hook, walking into the house in search of Severus. She heard him in his study, moving what sounded like books around. She knocked on the door, not really waiting to be told she could come in.

"Severus what is going on here?"

The Potions Master looked up from where he was kneeling on the floor, picking up journals and papers. "The fucking cat tore through here and knocked over everything." He dumped the folders he had swept up into a basket on the desk, not looking at the order they were in.

"Oh goodness. Let me help you." She knelt as well and gathered the last of the books, taking them to the shelf where they belonged. The cat was perched on the tall shelf above her, looking down at the mess he had created. He chirped and leap into Hermione's arms, positioning himself on her shoulders. "He seems very pleased with himself."

"Oh yes. The little shit took off for no particular reason, taking everything with him." Severus glared at the cat, who was rubbing his face on Hermione's cheek.

"No, he's sweet." Hermione nevertheless went out to the hall and let the cat out, shutting the door before he could sneak his way back in.

"He's a menace." Severus scowled at a piece of parchment that had smeared from the rough treatment. "Now I have to rewrite about 15 of these reports." He tossed the paper onto the desk and sat heavily in his chair.

"I can help you rewrite them." Hermione folded herself into one of the chairs across from his desk.

"I know you can, but these are for my professional research project. Unfortunately, this is something I have to do myself."

Hermione made a face but eventually shrugged it off. "So, what is the plan today?"

"We have interviews lined up between Vanessa Cromwell and Benjamin Harris. Charles is after them both."

Hermione nodded. "What would you like me to do while you interview?"

He laughed and handed her a file. "You're a partner in this business now, Hermione. You must interview one of the candidates." He handed her a question sheet as well. "Here is her file. And the cheat sheet I made for you. Ask all the questions on the sheet, write down her answers and then we can come back together and talk about what we like or didn't like about the candidates. I will interview Charles, since you two are such good friends."

"Sounds good." Hermione stood up and went tot the door. "I should probably put some shoes on then."

"Why did you even take them off?" Severus got up himself and opened the door, pushing Dover aside with one foot as he did.

"I wanted to get more comfortable before we brewed." She slipped out of the study and shut the door behind them. Going into her bag, she got out her flats, slipping them onto her feet before she sat at the kitchen table to read over the file. "Where should I interview her?"

"The table here is fine. It's relaxed enough. I did your interview in the living room with a cat on your lap. I'm not exactly the pickiest person about these things."

There was a knock on the door as he finished what he was saying. Severus went to the door and opened it, letting the two students into the foyer.

"Come on in," he went into the living room without checking to see if he was being followed. Hermione heard the two voices of the students, as they introduced themselves to Severus, Vanessa's voice soft and musical while Benjamin's was lower and deeper.

She got up, moving into the living room as Charles came into the house.

"Hi, I didn't knock, I just let myself in." He flopped onto the couch and called the cat up from the floor onto his lap. Dover chirped and jumped up, curling up in the man's lap.

"Hi to you too." Hermione shook her head and leaned against the bookshelf to her right.

"Hey bitch." Charles tossed a package at her. "This is from Mom."

"You do know that if you get the job, I'm technically your boss?" She tore open the package to find a glass to go container in the paper filled with raspberry hamantash and various flavors of rugelach.

"Yeah I do. I also know that you're going to share that stuff, right?"

"No way." Hermione popped the top off and took out a cinnamon rugelach, biting off half. "My mom never has time to bake. Get your own." She returned the top to the container and banished it to her house.

Severus shook his head and rolled his eyes at the pair, gesturing to Benjamin to follow him into the office. Hermione stuck her tongue out at Charles before waving her hand at Vanessa to get her to follow the older girl into the kitchen. Charles remained where he was, petting the feline who was more than content with the situation.

Hermione offered the young woman a seat, heading to the range to put the teapot on to boil. "Can I get you anything? Water, tea? Any snacks?"

Vanessa looked over at Hermione, a little shocked. "No that's alright."

Hermione nodded, and continued her prep, pouring 5 cups of tea. She placed two on the table with the biscuit tin, taking some out and pitting them on a plate, taking the other mugs and the extra tea tin into the office. She put the mugs on Severus' desk, putting the biscuits in the middle with the tea selection. She made the last cup for Charles, handing it to him as she left the office and made her way back into the kitchen.

She sat at the table and laid out all the paperwork before her. Vanessa sat with her hands folded in front of her, clearly nervous.

"Vanessa, it's alright. Master Nickleson has put in a good word for you. Do you have the sample of your work?"

The young woman handed over a vial silently, clearly worried.

Hermione held the vial up to the light, admiring the periwinkle liquid. It was the thickness of a cough syrup and appeared to have glitter in the mixture. She uncapped the container, smelling the liquid within. The nearly overwhelming power of ginger came from the tube, almost knocking Hermione over.

"I know, very ginger heavy." Vanessa spoke to Hermione for the first time. "Ginger is good for anti-inflammatory medication. That's what this is. I created a cure of arthritis."

"Remarkable." Hermione capped it and returned it to the table. She jotted down her response on the paper. "Now, how long has it been since your graduation?"

"About 3 months."

"And what exactly is your degree in?"

"I have a mastery in Potions with a concentration in medical science. I also have a secondary mastery of charms."

Hermione wrote that down as well on the sheet.

"Have you worked in a lab before?"

"Only the ones at school and in my internship." Vanessa relaxed and fixed her cup of tea that Hermione had made her. Sipping it lightly, she smiled. "I was an intern at St. Mungo's."

"What department?"

"Accidental magic accidents."

Over and over the questions went, Hermione working down the list. Salary, sick time, vacations and more were discussed, with Vanessa agreeing to be put on the same restriction that Hermione was placed on before she had become a partner had been on. For 45 minutes, the girls talked, going through hobbies and family commitments, not realizing that Severus had interviewed both Benjamin and Charles in the time it took Hermione to do one interview.

The dour man came into the room as the two were laughing, Hermione finishing one of her notes as she wiped her eyes.

"I'm glad you two are having fun."

"Oh Severus, I'm sorry. Have we gone over?"

"By a considerable amount I would say." He had removed his outer robes and rolled up his white shirt sleeves, taking pans out of the cabinets.

"Sorry, Severus." Hermione swept up the papers after making sure the ink was dry before tucking them away in the folder. "I'll go put these on your desk."

Severus nodded, not looking as he dashed olive oil into the pan before him. Hermione left the room, heading into the office to deposit the sample from Vanessa and the written notes she had. She made sure to label Vanessa's vial, before sticking it into the vial holder on his desk next to the others he had from the boys.

When she returned to the kitchen, the three applicants had migrated to the kitchen and were seated at the table, each trying not to make eye contact with the dark-haired man preparing lunch.

"Why does everyone look so sad?" Hermione walked over to Severus and wrapped her arm around his waist.

"They don't want to make eye contact with me because I make them uneasy." He turned over a piece of chicken, reaching a spoon over into the oven to stir around the vegetables he was roasting, after he opened the oven.

"I can't imagine why." She plucked a raw piece of broccoli out of the package Severus left on the counter into her mouth before she wrapped up the package and returned it to the fridge. "You just give this calming aura all the time."

Severus swatted her with the towel he had over his shoulder, catching the side of her thigh.

"Hey!"

He smirked and tossed the towel back over his shoulder. He continued cooking while Hermione gathered the dishes from the cabinets in order to set the table. The three at the table were confused as Hermione included them in the place settings.

"Miss Granger, what are you doing?" Benjamin moved his arms out of the way so she could place the plate down in front of him.

"Setting the table. It is lunch time after all."

"But we are not employees." Benjamin swallowed and looked at Severus briefly before looking away. "Not yet at least."

Hermione laughed. "That may be true, but it is lunch time and we all must eat." She arranged the cups around them all and set down the silverware.

"Not many people would be this kind." Charles slightly moved the cup on the table, wrapping his hands around the cool glass.

"I remember what it was like to be a recent graduate. You either live in a shitty flat with several roommates or you can live at home with your parents trying to get a job." He took a large plate out and put the chicken on the ceramic. "I lived in a studio apartment in London after I graduated with no running water and no heat. I could barely afford rent and food along with my debt. I got lucky and got the job at Hogwarts 4 months after I graduated."

Hermione nodded. "I was the same. I got so lucky that I got the stipend from the Ministry after the war that gave me a cushion if I didn't get my job in time. I had some savings, but they were not enough to live off. My parents were so good about helping me find a place to live in my price range, I could not thank them enough." She waved her wand and expanded the table, which in turn created two more chairs.

Vanessa shifted a little as Severus reached over her to put the chicken on the table, making sure to stay out of his way as he cast a warming charm. He moved away to finish the chips he was making and the vegetables that were roasting. He plated it all and carried it to the table, stopping to kiss Hermione on the side of the head. Hermione noticed Charles smirking at her, so she stuck her tongue out at him.

The two partners finally sat, with Severus summoning serving utensils from the drawers. With another wave of his wand, a bowl of salad and several dressings landed neatly on the table.

"You two didn't have to do this." Benjamin stared open mouthed at the food.

"No, but it is a curtousy thing." Hermione doled out salad ono plates as the three new comers were hesitant to move.

Charles nodded numbly before helping himself to food, making sure that he did not take too much. Severus rolled his eyes and heaped more food onto the boy's plate, doing the same to Vanessa and Benjamin.

"Eat. I am not wanting for money an di have plenty in my pantry." He started to cut up the chicken he had placed on his own plate. Hermione got up and took the carafe of pumpkin juice out of the fridge, bring it back to the table.

"Before you say you don't want to take from us, this has a charm on it, so it never runs out." Hermione poured a glass for herself then passed it down the table. She waved her wand once more and Severus' tea mug refilled itself. He nodded his thanks and continued to eat.

Once she made sure everyone had anything they could possibly need, Hermione then started to eat herself. Dover wove himself in and around her ankles, an act that Hermione was very used to in the time she had spent in Prince Potions.

When he realized that he was not getting any food items, he jumped up onto the window sill bed that Severus had placed for him several years before. Hermione watched him go, before returning to the conversation at the table.

Benjamin and Vanessa were clearly nervous, not doing more than nodding as Charles held court over the table. Hermione could see that he was nervous, more nervous than she had ever seen him before. Because they had spent so much time together, she had seen him go from very happy to terrified.

His first job had been a reception job, one that he hated. It was for a Muggle law firm, and he did little more than answer phones. When he would come home to the Granger residence, he was exhausted from the emotional attacks he would go through from his employers. Her mother would be cooking dinner and would make sure that his favorite foods were either in the house or being made for those specific days. Once he entered the drag scene, the end of the day was no longer spent tired, but nervous, which led to hours of primping, readying himself for the show.

Once he was accepted, the nerves stopped, but when he was in situations he didn't know fully, he would freeze but force himself to do the task at hand. Now, he was nervous that he risked his waiting job on one he may not get, and Hermione knew that the three were considering the meal an extension of their interview. Hermione had tea with Severus before she was officially hired and that was scary enough, but she had pulled through. She knew that the Potions Master had been impressed by the three, having been sent a copy of their resumes before they had even gotten there.

"So, Benjamin," she swallowed a cherry tomato. "How was your time in school? Vanessa and I got a chance to catch up, but I don't think we ever got the chance to talk in school."

"No we didn't." He laughed nervously. "I was a year behind you."

"I remember now. So tell me, any hobbies? Do you have a favorite area of study like Vanessa?"

"Yes, I do. I am specialized in children's medicine. I created a stomach soother that can be used exclusively for children." He followed the rest of the table and began to eat. "I haven't had much time for hobbies, but I do like to paint."

Severus gave Hermione a look. "We've been thinking about expanding to a child's line of potions, but we needed to find an expert. Would you consider yourself an expert?"

"Well sir," Benjamin dabbed at his mouth with a napkin. "I have the most up to date knowledge but there is always something that I can learn."

Severus nodded, and smiled a little at the younger man. "Good answer. Matter of fact, but humble. I like it."

Benjamin smiled back, and the atmosphere around the table relaxed.

*S*S*

Hermione looked over her shoulder as she cleared the table at Severus, who was elbow deep in suds, scrubbing pots and plates.

"So what did you think of the three?"

Severus rinsed a plate free of soap and placed it in the drying rack. "I liked them. Charles made an elixir that cures baldness in men, and you heard what Benjamin made. He had downplayed it in the interview, however." He picked up another plate and started to scrub. "What did Vanessa prepare?"

"She created a potion as a cure of arthritis." Hermione took the dishes from the table and carried them to the sink. She picked up one of the dishes from the drying rack and a rag, drying it to put it away in the cabinet.

"That's fairly impressive." The scrubbing continued. "So, it's in the budget to hire the three of them. Do you think Vanessa would be a good fit?"

"I think so. She's very bright and personable, with a lot of good ideas." Hermione put the three plates she had dried in the cabinet, working on the platter that they had put the vegetables on. "I think she would be really good for our St. Mungo outreach. She did an internship with them when she was in school. It would be good to have someone who has a good relationship with the hospital on our staff other than ourselves."

Severus looked at her while he was scrubbing a pan, nodding at her as he washed. "We can send out letters today telling the three of them that they are hired. I think we should have them start next Monday, giving at least Charles time to quit his job, even if it's a little late for the proper two weeks. I'm sure he doesn't care that much about his job at the restaurant that much."

She laughed and took the pan from his hands, wiping it with the dry clothe she had taken from the drawer. "No he hates his job. He's very glad to be rid of it."

"And what of you, Hermione?" He paused, looking at her with his full attention. "Do you like your job?"

Hermione paused for a moment, before resuming her drying. "That depends on what you're asking. This job or the one at the Ministry?"

"The Ministry job first."

"That's a loaded question. I love what I do, but I don't see myself staying longer than I must. I have climbed the ladder and shattered some glass ceilings, but after I buy the house I want, I'm gone. Kingsley knows this and is okay with it surprisingly."

Severus laughed and handed her another item to dry. "You're Hermione Granger. There is no way he's going to say anything negative about your choices. It's political suicide."

"You're not wrong." She laughed as well. "But this job…. This is the job I've always wanted, ever since I was 11 and took that first potions class with you. The way you spoke about the field in your speech got me thinking about the possibilities of being a potions mistress. Then in fifth year, I sat with McGonagall and she put some doubts in my head about the idea, but eventually I came back around, right after the war."

"I never knew that about you." Severus picked up a dry towel from the counter and finished off the last dish. "I suppose I never would if you hadn't told me. I don't think 11-year-old Hermione would have entered my office during office hours and poured her soul out to me."

"No she wouldn't have. She could barely keep friends let alone talk to her professors about her career aspirations."

The pair went into the study room, where Severus filled away the paperwork and the samples of potions. He then took out a few pieces of parchment that had writing on them, passing one of them over to Hermione.

She looked down at it and noticed it was a letter that was to be sent to one of the applicants telling them that they had gotten the job.

"I didn't get a letter like this when I was hired." Hermione never the less picked up a quill and started writing.

"I could write one for you now." Severus had put on his reading glasses. "I didn't think I needed to when I could just hire you on the spot."

Hermione nodded, and continued to write Vanessa's name in the paper, filling out her start date and her salary. When the three were done, Severus took them to his owl, and handed them over, opening the window for him to fly out of.

Hermione put her quill back, and reclined in her seat, waiting for him to sit once more.

"So, its been a few days since we came back from the trip and I feel like we need to talk about, well us."

Severus settled in the armchair at his desk. "I figured we would have this conversation sooner rather than later." He sighed and summoned a glass of scotch. "I think that it would be best if we took this slow. The last time I was in a 'relationship' was Sirius Black's brother and I ruined that before it could become something more than a close friendship. I am very nervous that I am going to do something that's going to ruin this. I really want this to work and I am afraid that if it does not work, our relationship at work, as coworkers, and if that crumbles, I'm not sure what will happen after that." He seemed like he was getting more and more nervous, making Hermione smile reassuring at him.

"Severus, I don't think anything terrible is going to happen. I think because we are adults now we can be much more rational. I know you're going to be fine. What happened when you were in school is in the past. We're all different now." She reached out and patted his hand.

Severus nodded. "I just want this to work so badly. I just… I don't know what to do if it doesn't."

Hermione got up and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I think we'll be fine. How about we go out to dinner tomorrow, somewhere nice, somewhere we don't usually go."

Severus smiled and put his hands on her waist. "I would like that."

Just as they were about to go down to the lab to work, Britney came in through the fireplace in tears.

"Is everything okay?" Severus turned to Britney with concern.

"No," She covered her face, and broke down in tears

"Britney, is it your mom? What's going on?"

"It's Master Guðnason! He's in the hospital." She looked up, her mascara running down her face. "His cancer is worse and he collapsed in the lab. I don't know what to do."

"We'll go see if they're allowing visitors yet."

Severus ushered the girls into the fireplace to St. Mungo's.

 **Thank you all so much for your continued support!**


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